CVE-2024-38152: Windows 10 1507 OLE RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2024-38152 Overview

CVE-2024-38152 is a Windows Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) remote code execution vulnerability affecting a broad range of Microsoft Windows client and server operating systems. Despite its "remote code execution" classification, the CVSS vector indicates a local attack vector requiring user interaction. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw can execute code with the privileges of the current user by triggering a heap-based buffer overflow condition in the OLE component. Microsoft addressed the issue in its August 2024 Patch Tuesday release.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation results in arbitrary code execution with the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system fully compromised.

Affected Products

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

Discovery Timeline

2024-08-13 - CVE-2024-38152 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2024-08-13 - Microsoft releases security update addressing the vulnerability
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-38152

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2024-38152 is a heap-based buffer overflow [CWE-122] in the Windows OLE subsystem. OLE is a Microsoft technology that allows embedding and linking to documents and other objects across applications. When the OLE component processes a crafted object or document, insufficient bounds checking on heap-allocated buffers permits a write past the allocated region.

Exploitation requires local access and user interaction, such as opening a malicious file or embedded object. Because the OLE runtime is invoked by many Office and shell components, the attack surface extends across common productivity workflows. Successful exploitation yields code execution in the context of the logged-in user.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper validation of the size or structure of data written to a heap-allocated buffer during OLE object parsing. When an attacker supplies a specially crafted OLE object, the parser writes attacker-controlled bytes beyond the intended buffer boundary. Corrupted heap metadata or adjacent objects can be leveraged for control-flow hijacking.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local with required user interaction. An attacker delivers a malicious file containing a crafted OLE object, typically through phishing email, a compromised file share, or a drive-by download. When the victim opens the file in an application that invokes the OLE runtime, the heap overflow is triggered and shellcode or a ROP chain executes with the user's privileges.

No public proof-of-concept exploit is available at the time of writing, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. See the Microsoft Security Update for CVE-2024-38152 for vendor details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-38152

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected child processes spawned from Office applications, explorer.exe, or other OLE-consuming hosts (for example, cmd.exe, powershell.exe, rundll32.exe).
Crash events in the Windows Event Log referencing modules such as ole32.dll, oleaut32.dll, or combase.dll.
Inbound documents (.doc, .rtf, .xls, .ppt, compound files) with embedded OLE objects arriving via email or web downloads.

Detection Strategies

Hunt for anomalous OLE object instantiation followed by process creation with suspicious command lines or network connections.
Correlate application faults in OLE-related modules with subsequent user-context process launches to identify possible exploitation attempts.
Deploy YARA or content-inspection rules against inbound attachments to flag malformed OLE structures and outsized embedded streams.

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable Sysmon Event IDs 1 (process create), 7 (image load), and 11 (file create) to capture OLE-related activity across the environment.
Forward Windows application crash telemetry (Event IDs 1000 and 1001) to a centralized SIEM for correlation with endpoint alerts.
Track patch compliance status for the August 2024 Windows security update across all managed endpoints and servers.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-38152

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the August 2024 Microsoft security update to all affected Windows client and server systems without delay.
Prioritize patching on hosts where users routinely open documents from external sources, including workstations and Remote Desktop Session Hosts.
Restrict execution of macros and embedded content in Microsoft Office through Group Policy and Attack Surface Reduction rules.

Patch Information

Microsoft released fixes for CVE-2024-38152 on August 13, 2024. Administrators should consult the Microsoft Security Update Guide entry for CVE-2024-38152 for the specific KB articles applicable to each Windows version and deploy them through Windows Update, WSUS, Microsoft Intune, or Configuration Manager.

Workarounds

Enforce Protected View and block macros originating from the internet in Microsoft Office as a layered mitigation.
Use email gateway policies to strip or quarantine documents containing embedded OLE objects from external senders.
Apply least-privilege principles so that users do not operate with administrative rights, limiting the impact of user-context code execution.

bash

# Verify installation of the August 2024 cumulative update on Windows
Get-HotFix | Where-Object { $_.InstalledOn -ge (Get-Date '2024-08-13') } | Sort-Object InstalledOn

# Block Office applications from creating child processes via ASR
Set-MpPreference -AttackSurfaceReductionRules_Ids D4F940AB-401B-4EFC-AADC-AD5F3C50688A `
                 -AttackSurfaceReductionRules_Actions Enabled