CVE-2024-24968 identifies a hardware vulnerability in certain Intel processors stemming from improper finite state machines (FSMs) within their hardware logic. FSMs are critical components that manage the processor's internal state transitions, and flaws here can lead to unpredictable behavior. This vulnerability allows a user with high-level privileges and local access to trigger a denial of service condition by manipulating these FSMs, potentially causing the processor or system to become unresponsive or crash. The vulnerability does not require user interaction and does not affect confidentiality or integrity, focusing solely on availability. The CVSS 4.0 score of 5.6 reflects the medium severity, considering the attack vector is local, requires high complexity, and privileged access. No public exploits have been observed, indicating that exploitation may be non-trivial or that the vulnerability is newly disclosed. The affected versions are not explicitly listed but pertain to certain Intel processors, suggesting that organizations using Intel hardware should verify their exposure. The vulnerability highlights the challenges of hardware-level flaws that cannot be mitigated by software alone and require microcode updates or hardware replacement. Intel is expected to release patches or microcode updates to address this issue, emphasizing the importance of timely updates in hardware security.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2024-24968 is on system availability. Organizations relying on affected Intel processors in servers, workstations, or embedded systems may experience unexpected system crashes or instability if the vulnerability is exploited. This can disrupt business operations, especially in sectors requiring high availability such as finance, healthcare, telecommunications, and critical infrastructure. Since exploitation requires privileged local access, the risk is higher in environments where multiple users have elevated privileges or where insider threats exist. The denial of service could also affect cloud service providers and data centers operating in Europe, potentially impacting multiple tenants. While confidentiality and integrity remain unaffected, the availability impact can lead to downtime, loss of productivity, and potential financial losses. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers may develop techniques over time. Organizations with stringent uptime requirements should prioritize mitigation to avoid operational disruptions.

1. Monitor Intel’s official advisories and promptly apply any released microcode or firmware updates addressing CVE-2024-24968. 2. Restrict privileged access to trusted administrators only and enforce strict access controls to limit the potential for local exploitation. 3. Implement robust monitoring and logging of privileged user activities to detect any anomalous behavior that could indicate exploitation attempts. 4. Use hardware-based security features such as Intel Trusted Execution Technology (TXT) or virtualization-based security to isolate critical workloads and reduce attack surface. 5. Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments focusing on hardware and firmware components. 6. For critical systems, consider deploying redundancy and failover mechanisms to mitigate the impact of potential denial of service events. 7. Educate system administrators about the vulnerability and the importance of minimizing privileged local access. 8. Coordinate with hardware vendors and service providers to ensure timely patch deployment and system integrity verification.