CVE-2024-38114: Windows 10 1507 RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2024-38114 Overview

CVE-2024-38114 is a remote code execution vulnerability in the Windows IP Routing Management Snapin. The flaw affects a broad range of Microsoft Windows desktop and server editions, from Windows 10 1507 through Windows 11 24H2 and from Windows Server 2008 through Windows Server 2022 23H2. Successful exploitation allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code with high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Microsoft addressed the issue in its August 2024 security update cycle. The vulnerability is classified under [CWE-122] (Heap-based Buffer Overflow).

Critical Impact

Network-adjacent attackers can achieve remote code execution on affected Windows systems when an authorized user opens a malicious management snapin file, compromising the host with the privileges of the targeted user.

Affected Products

• Microsoft Windows 10 (1507, 1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2)
• Microsoft Windows 11 (21H2, 22H2, 23H2, 24H2)
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, 2012, 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2022 23H2

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-08-13 - Microsoft releases security patch as part of August 2024 Patch Tuesday
• 2024-08-13 - CVE-2024-38114 published to NVD
• 2024-08-16 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-38114

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the Windows IP Routing Management Snapin, a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) component used to administer IP routing services on Windows hosts. The component improperly validates memory allocations when processing snapin-related data, leading to a heap-based buffer overflow ([CWE-122]). An attacker who can deliver a crafted file or input to the snapin can corrupt heap memory and steer execution to attacker-controlled code. Exploitation runs under the security context of the user who interacts with the malicious content, which on administrative workstations typically means elevated privileges over routing and network configuration. The flaw carries an EPSS probability of approximately 8.06%, placing it in the 92nd percentile for likelihood of exploitation activity.

Root Cause

The root cause is a heap-based buffer overflow in the routing management snapin's data parsing logic. The component allocates a buffer based on attacker-influenced size inputs without sufficient bounds checking. Subsequent copy operations write past the allocated region, corrupting heap metadata and adjacent objects.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network based but requires user interaction. An attacker hosts or delivers a malicious management saved console (.msc) file or related artifact that loads the IP Routing Management Snapin. When an administrator opens the file, the snapin parses the embedded data, triggers the heap overflow, and executes attacker-supplied code. No prior authentication to the target system is required.

No public proof-of-concept exploit code has been published for this vulnerability. See the Microsoft Security Update Guide for CVE-2024-38114 for vendor technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-38114

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected mmc.exe child processes such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or rundll32.exe spawned shortly after a user opens an .msc file.
• Inbound delivery of .msc files or archives containing snapin configurations from email, web, or removable media sources.
• Crash dumps referencing iprtrmgr.dll or the IP Routing Management Snapin module on patched-vulnerable hosts.
• Outbound network connections initiated by mmc.exe to non-Microsoft destinations.

Detection Strategies

• Hunt for process creation events where mmc.exe is the parent of script interpreters or LOLBins.
• Inspect endpoints for newly created or downloaded .msc files in user profile and temporary directories.
• Correlate MMC snapin load events with subsequent suspicious module loads, registry writes, or persistence creation.

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable Windows process creation auditing with command-line logging (Event ID 4688) and Sysmon Event IDs 1, 7, and 11 across administrative workstations.
• Monitor for mmc.exe invocations launched from non-standard paths or by non-administrative users.
• Forward MMC, snapin, and module-load telemetry to a centralized analytics platform for behavioral correlation against the August 2024 patch baseline.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-38114

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply the August 2024 Microsoft security updates to all affected Windows desktop and server SKUs without delay.
• Inventory hosts that have not received the August 2024 cumulative update and prioritize patching of administrative workstations and jump servers.
• Restrict the ability to open .msc files originating from email, web downloads, or untrusted shares using Attack Surface Reduction rules and Mark-of-the-Web enforcement.
• Review accounts with privileges to manage IP routing and reduce membership of administrative groups to the minimum required.

Patch Information

Microsoft published the official fix in the August 13, 2024 security update. Refer to the Microsoft Security Update Guide for CVE-2024-38114 for the specific KB articles and build numbers that apply to each affected Windows version. Install the cumulative update appropriate for the operating system build to remediate the heap-based buffer overflow in the IP Routing Management Snapin.

Workarounds

• Block delivery of .msc files at the email gateway and web proxy until patches are deployed.
• Disable or remove the Routing and Remote Access role on servers where IP routing management is not required.
• Train administrators to open management snapins only from trusted local sources and validate file origin before execution.

# Verify the August 2024 cumulative update is installed on a Windows host
wmic qfe list brief /format:table | findstr /i "KB504"
# Replace KB504 with the specific KB identifier listed in the
# Microsoft Security Update Guide entry for CVE-2024-38114
# matching the target OS build.