CVE-2024-21352 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in the Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809 operating system, specifically affecting the Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) OLE DB provider for SQL Server. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-197, which corresponds to a Numeric Truncation Error. This type of error occurs when a numeric value is improperly truncated during processing, potentially leading to incorrect calculations or memory corruption. In this case, the truncation error in the OLE DB provider can be exploited remotely to achieve remote code execution (RCE) without requiring privileges or authentication, though user interaction is necessary. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.8, indicating a high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The attack vector is network-based (AV:N), with low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but requires user interaction (UI:R). The scope is unchanged (S:U), and the impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is high (C:H/I:H/A:H). This means an attacker can remotely execute arbitrary code on a vulnerable system by exploiting the truncation error in the OLE DB provider, potentially leading to full system compromise. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability poses a significant risk due to the ease of exploitation and the critical nature of the affected component. The affected version is Windows 10 Version 1809 (build 10.0.17763.0), which is an older release but may still be in use in some environments. No official patch links are provided yet, indicating that mitigation may rely on workarounds or upgrading to a supported version. The vulnerability was reserved in December 2023 and published in February 2024, with enrichment from CISA, highlighting its importance in the security community.

For European organizations, this vulnerability presents a serious threat, especially for those still operating legacy Windows 10 Version 1809 systems. The ability to remotely execute code without authentication can lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, ransomware deployment, and disruption of critical services. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and government are particularly at risk due to the sensitive nature of their data and the criticality of their operations. The high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability means that exploitation could result in significant operational downtime, loss of sensitive information, and damage to reputation. Additionally, since the vulnerability requires user interaction, phishing or social engineering campaigns could be used to trigger the exploit, increasing the attack surface. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently provides a window for proactive defense, but the high CVSS score suggests that threat actors may prioritize developing exploits soon. European organizations with legacy systems or insufficient patch management processes are especially vulnerable.

1. Immediate upgrade or patching: Organizations should prioritize upgrading from Windows 10 Version 1809 to a more recent, supported Windows version where this vulnerability is patched. If patches become available, they should be applied promptly. 2. Disable or restrict use of the WDAC OLE DB provider for SQL Server if not required, to reduce the attack surface. 3. Implement network-level protections such as firewall rules to restrict access to SQL Server services and related components from untrusted networks. 4. Enhance user awareness and training to reduce the risk of social engineering or phishing attacks that could trigger the required user interaction. 5. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for suspicious activities related to OLE DB provider usage or unusual remote code execution attempts. 6. Conduct regular vulnerability scanning and asset inventory to identify systems running the affected Windows version and prioritize remediation. 7. Use application control policies to limit execution of unauthorized code and scripts that could be leveraged in exploitation. 8. Monitor threat intelligence feeds for any emerging exploits targeting CVE-2024-21352 to enable rapid incident response.