CVE-2024-28060 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in Apiris Kafeo version 6.4.4, involving DLL hijacking (CWE-426). DLL hijacking occurs when an application loads a malicious Dynamic Link Library (DLL) instead of the legitimate one, allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code within the context of the vulnerable application. In this case, the vulnerability permits a user with limited privileges (PR:L) to trigger arbitrary code execution each time the product is launched, requiring user interaction (UI:R). The attack vector is local (AV:L), meaning the attacker must have some level of access to the system to place or influence the malicious DLL. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability, all rated high, indicating that exploitation could lead to complete system compromise, data theft, or service disruption. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.3, reflecting the significant risk posed by this vulnerability. No patches or known exploits in the wild have been reported at the time of publication. The lack of vendor or product details beyond the version and product name limits the scope of direct vendor mitigation guidance, but the technical nature of DLL hijacking is well understood in cybersecurity practice.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-28060 could be substantial, especially in environments where Apiris Kafeo 6.4.4 is deployed. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the application, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data, lateral movement within networks, and disruption of business operations. Given the high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts, organizations handling critical or sensitive information—such as financial institutions, healthcare providers, and government agencies—are at increased risk. The requirement for local access and user interaction somewhat limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate risk, particularly in scenarios where insider threats or social engineering tactics are feasible. The vulnerability could be leveraged as a foothold for further attacks, including privilege escalation or persistence mechanisms, amplifying its threat to European enterprises.

To mitigate CVE-2024-28060 effectively, European organizations should: 1) Conduct an immediate inventory to identify all instances of Apiris Kafeo 6.4.4 within their environment. 2) Restrict write permissions on directories where the application loads DLLs to prevent unauthorized DLL placement. 3) Implement application whitelisting and code integrity checks to ensure only trusted DLLs are loaded. 4) Educate users about the risks of executing untrusted files and the importance of avoiding suspicious interactions that could trigger the vulnerability. 5) Monitor file system and process execution logs for unusual DLL loading behavior or unexpected application restarts. 6) Engage with the vendor or community for any forthcoming patches or updates and apply them promptly once available. 7) Consider deploying endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting DLL hijacking attempts and anomalous code execution patterns. 8) Employ least privilege principles to limit the impact of any successful exploitation by restricting user permissions and application execution contexts.