CVE-2024-29049 is a medium-severity vulnerability classified under CWE-79, which corresponds to Cross-site Scripting (XSS) due to improper neutralization of input during web page generation. This vulnerability affects Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) Extended Stable, specifically version 1.0.0 of the WebView2 component. WebView2 is a control that allows developers to embed web content (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) within native applications using the Edge rendering engine. The vulnerability arises when malicious input is not properly sanitized before being rendered in the WebView2 context, enabling an attacker to inject and execute arbitrary scripts. This can lead to spoofing attacks where the attacker can manipulate the content displayed to the user, potentially tricking them into divulging sensitive information or performing unintended actions. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.1 (medium), with the vector indicating that the attack requires local access (AV:L), high attack complexity (AC:H), no privileges (PR:N), and user interaction (UI:R). The scope is changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. The impact on confidentiality and integrity is low (C:L, I:L), with no impact on availability (A:N). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability was published on April 4, 2024, and was reserved on March 14, 2024. Given the nature of WebView2, this vulnerability primarily affects applications embedding this control, which are often enterprise or consumer applications that integrate web content within Windows environments.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-29049 can be significant in scenarios where internal or customer-facing applications utilize the Microsoft Edge WebView2 control. Exploitation could allow attackers to perform spoofing attacks, potentially leading to phishing or social engineering within trusted applications. This could result in unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information or manipulation of application behavior, undermining user trust and data integrity. Although the vulnerability requires local access and user interaction, it could be leveraged in targeted attacks against employees or customers, especially in sectors with high reliance on custom Windows applications such as finance, healthcare, and government services. The changed scope indicates that the vulnerability might allow attackers to affect other components or data beyond the initial WebView2 context, increasing the risk of lateral movement or privilege escalation within compromised environments. However, the medium CVSS score and the requirement for user interaction and local access limit the ease of exploitation and widespread impact. Organizations with strict endpoint security and user awareness programs will be better positioned to mitigate risks. Still, the presence of this vulnerability in a widely used Microsoft component embedded in many applications means that a broad range of European enterprises could be exposed if they have not updated or mitigated the risk.

1. Monitor for official patches or updates from Microsoft for the WebView2 component and apply them promptly once available. 2. Until patches are released, restrict the use of applications embedding WebView2 to trusted sources and environments. 3. Implement application whitelisting and endpoint protection to prevent execution of untrusted or malicious code that could exploit this vulnerability. 4. Educate users about the risks of interacting with suspicious content or links within applications that use WebView2, emphasizing caution with unexpected prompts or input requests. 5. For developers, review and harden input validation and output encoding in applications using WebView2 to ensure proper neutralization of user-supplied data. 6. Employ runtime application self-protection (RASP) or web application firewalls (WAF) where applicable to detect and block suspicious script injections. 7. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on embedded web controls within enterprise applications to identify similar vulnerabilities proactively. 8. Limit local user privileges and enforce the principle of least privilege to reduce the risk of local exploitation. 9. Use network segmentation to isolate critical systems that might embed vulnerable WebView2 components from less secure parts of the network.