On September 17, 2024, the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) updated its advisory to confirm CVE-2024-37985 as a zero-day vulnerability in the Windows kernel, marking it as a notable security risk. Originally disclosed on July 9, 2024, this vulnerability has been classified as a Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability, with a CVSS score of 5.9 (Medium), highlighting its potential threat to system security despite not being classified as critical.
Understanding CVE-2024-37985
The Windows kernel is the core component of the operating system responsible for managing system resources and facilitating hardware interactions. CVE-2024-37985 stems from a weakness in the kernel that could allow attackers to access heap memory—memory dynamically allocated during the execution of processes—from a privileged process running on a vulnerable server.
Heap memory can store sensitive information such as system data or personal data being processed by key applications. Unauthorized access to this memory could result in information leakage, enabling attackers to obtain insights into the internal workings of privileged processes. This could serve as a foothold for more serious attacks, such as privilege escalation or remote code execution.
While heap memory access may not immediately compromise a system, it can expose critical information that attackers can use to further exploit vulnerabilities, leading to potentially severe security breaches.
Exploitation Complexity and Mitigation
Microsoft has stated that the exploitation of CVE-2024-37985 is not a trivial task. Attackers must take preparatory actions within the target environment to exploit the flaw, which adds some complexity to the attack chain. However, once these preconditions are met, the vulnerability could enable unauthorized access to sensitive memory, posing a significant risk of information disclosure.
To minimize the risk of exploitation, Microsoft has not released specific details about the exact attack vectors or methods used to exploit CVE-2024-37985. This is a common approach when dealing with zero-day vulnerabilities to prevent attackers from further exploiting the flaw before a broad patch can be deployed. Despite the medium CVSS score, organizations should not underestimate the information disclosure risk that comes with this vulnerability, as it could be leveraged to facilitate more serious attacks.
Connection to Other Zero-Day Vulnerabilities
The disclosure of CVE-2024-37985 coincided with Microsoft’s July 2024 Patch Tuesday update, which addressed a total of 142 vulnerabilities, including two actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities:
- CVE-2024-38080 – A Windows Hyper-V Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability, which could allow attackers to gain elevated permissions on virtualized environments.
- CVE-2024-38112 – A Windows MSHTML Platform Spoofing Vulnerability, which could lead to phishing attacks by spoofing legitimate websites.
Additionally, two publicly disclosed zero-day vulnerabilities were addressed in the same update:
- CVE-2024-35264 – A .NET and Visual Studio Remote Code Execution Vulnerability that could allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems.
- CVE-2024-37985 – The Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability, which allows attackers to access sensitive memory.
Importance of Patching and Vulnerability Mitigation
While CVE-2024-37985 is not classified as critical, its potential to expose sensitive memory makes it a significant risk. Information disclosure vulnerabilities like this one can serve as a stepping stone for more advanced attacks, including privilege escalation or remote code execution. Once attackers gain insight into privileged processes through exposed memory, they may be able to exploit other weaknesses or bypass security mechanisms.
Organizations are strongly encouraged to apply patches promptly and ensure that their systems are up-to-date with Microsoft’s security updates. The longer vulnerabilities like CVE-2024-37985 remain unpatched, the greater the chance of exploitation by cybercriminals.
The confirmation of CVE-2024-37985 as a zero-day vulnerability in the Windows kernel underscores the importance of promptly addressing security flaws, even those classified with medium CVSS scores. As demonstrated by Microsoft’s July 2024 Patch Tuesday update, attackers are actively seeking to exploit unpatched systems, and vulnerabilities such as CVE-2024-37985 can provide a gateway to more serious breaches.
To mitigate the risk, organizations must remain vigilant, apply security patches as soon as they become available, and continually monitor their environments for potential threats. By doing so, they can reduce the likelihood of exploitation and protect sensitive data from unauthorized access.
