CVE-2024-29055 is a high-severity elevation of privilege vulnerability affecting Microsoft Defender for IoT version 22.0.0. The underlying issue is classified under CWE-284, indicating improper access control. This vulnerability allows an attacker with existing high-level privileges (PR:H) to escalate their privileges further without requiring user interaction (UI:N). The attack vector is network-based (AV:N), meaning the attacker can exploit the vulnerability remotely over the network. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H), suggesting that successful exploitation could lead to full system compromise, including unauthorized access to sensitive data, modification or deletion of data, and disruption of service. The scope is unchanged (S:U), meaning the impact is confined to the vulnerable component without affecting other components or systems. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.2, reflecting a high severity level. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the vulnerability is publicly disclosed as of April 9, 2024. Microsoft Defender for IoT is a security solution designed to protect Internet of Things (IoT) devices and networks, often deployed in industrial, critical infrastructure, and enterprise environments. Improper access control in this context could allow attackers to bypass security controls, gain unauthorized administrative capabilities, and potentially manipulate or disable IoT security monitoring and protections, thereby increasing the risk of further attacks on connected devices and networks.

For European organizations, especially those operating critical infrastructure, manufacturing, energy, and smart city deployments, this vulnerability poses significant risks. Microsoft Defender for IoT is used to secure diverse IoT environments, and an elevation of privilege flaw could enable attackers to gain control over IoT security management, leading to unauthorized access to sensitive operational data, disruption of industrial processes, or sabotage of IoT device networks. This could result in operational downtime, financial losses, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR, NIS Directive), and damage to reputation. The high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability means that attackers could exfiltrate sensitive data, alter system configurations, or cause denial of service. Given the increasing reliance on IoT in sectors such as manufacturing, energy grids, transportation, and healthcare across Europe, exploitation of this vulnerability could have cascading effects on supply chains and public safety.

Organizations should prioritize upgrading Microsoft Defender for IoT to a patched version as soon as Microsoft releases it, since no patch links are currently available. In the interim, network segmentation should be enforced to isolate IoT security management systems from less trusted networks to reduce exposure. Implement strict access controls and monitor accounts with high privileges to detect unusual activities indicative of privilege escalation attempts. Employ network intrusion detection systems (NIDS) with signatures or anomaly detection tuned for Defender for IoT traffic patterns. Conduct regular audits of Defender for IoT configurations and logs to identify unauthorized changes. Additionally, apply the principle of least privilege rigorously to limit the number of users with high-level privileges. Organizations should also prepare incident response plans specifically addressing IoT security breaches and ensure that security teams are trained to recognize signs of compromise related to this vulnerability.