CVE-2024-26229: Windows 10 1507 CSC Privilege Escalation

CVE-2024-26229 Overview

Windows CSC Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

Critical Impact

This vulnerability allows attackers to potentially escalate privileges on affected Windows systems, granting them unauthorized access to sensitive areas of the system.

Affected Products

• microsoft windows_10_1507
• microsoft windows_10_1607
• microsoft windows_10_1809

Discovery Timeline

• Not Available - Vulnerability discovered by Not Available
• Not Available - Responsible disclosure to microsoft
• Not Available - CVE CVE-2024-26229 assigned
• Not Available - microsoft releases security patch
• 2024-04-09 - CVE CVE-2024-26229 published to NVD
• 2025-01-08 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-26229

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2024-26229 is a privilege escalation vulnerability found in the Windows CSC Service, which could be exploited through local access to escalate privileges on the system. It affects multiple Windows versions and is considered High severity with a CVSS score of 7.8.

Root Cause

The vulnerability primarily stems from improper privilege management within the CSC (Client-Side Caching) Service, which can be manipulated to execute unauthorized actions at a higher privilege level.

Attack Vector

This vulnerability is exploitable locally, requiring an attacker to have access to the affected machine.

// Example exploitation code (sanitized)
# Assume escalation via CSC service
function Elevate-Privilege {
    # Placeholder for actual exploitation logic
    Write-Host "Privilege escalation attempt via CSC"
}
Elevate-Privilege

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-26229

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual service behavior
• Unauthorized access attempts
• Changes in privilege levels

Detection Strategies

Utilize behavioral analysis and event log monitoring to detect anomalous privilege escalation activities. Tools that can track changes in user privileges and monitor service interactions are essential.

Monitoring Recommendations

Implement continuous monitoring of system logs for unexpected changes in service configurations and user access rights, particularly related to CSC service operations.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-26229

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply the security patch from Microsoft immediately.
• Restrict local access as much as possible to reduce attack surface.
• Utilize application whitelisting to control executable actions.

Patch Information

Refer to the Microsoft security update guide for patch details: Vendor Advisory.

Workarounds

For systems that cannot be patched immediately, consider disabling the CSC service temporarily or employing strict access control policies to limit local user interactions.

# Configuration example
echo "Disabling CSC Service for mitigation..."
systemctl stop csc-service
systemctl disable csc-service