CVE-2024-30076 is a medium-severity elevation of privilege vulnerability affecting Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809 (build 10.0.17763.0). The vulnerability is classified under CWE-59, which involves improper link resolution before file access, commonly referred to as 'link following'. Specifically, this flaw exists in the Windows Container Manager Service, a component responsible for managing Windows containers. The vulnerability arises because the service improperly handles symbolic links or junction points, allowing an attacker with limited privileges (low-level privileges) to manipulate the file system links. This can lead to the service accessing or modifying files it should not, thereby enabling the attacker to escalate their privileges on the system. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.8, indicating a medium severity level. The vector string (AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H) shows that the attack can be performed remotely over the network but requires high attack complexity and low privileges, with no user interaction needed. The impact affects integrity and availability but not confidentiality. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability was reserved in March 2024 and published in June 2024, indicating it is a recent discovery. Given the affected product is Windows 10 Version 1809, which is an older version of Windows 10, many organizations may still be running this version in legacy environments or on specialized systems.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to systems running Windows 10 Version 1809, especially those using Windows containers or containerized applications. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to elevate privileges from a low-privileged user to higher system privileges, potentially enabling them to modify system files, disrupt container operations, or deploy further malicious payloads. This could lead to integrity and availability issues, such as unauthorized changes to critical files or denial of service of containerized services. Organizations in sectors with high reliance on containerized Windows environments—such as finance, manufacturing, and critical infrastructure—may face operational disruptions or targeted attacks aiming to compromise container hosts. Although no exploits are known in the wild yet, the presence of this vulnerability in a widely used OS version means attackers could develop exploits, especially targeting legacy systems that have not been updated. The lack of confidentiality impact reduces the risk of data leakage directly from this vulnerability, but the integrity and availability impacts could indirectly affect data reliability and service continuity.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should prioritize upgrading affected systems from Windows 10 Version 1809 to a more recent, supported Windows version where this vulnerability is patched or does not exist. If immediate upgrade is not feasible, organizations should implement strict access controls limiting low-privileged user access to systems running this OS version, especially those hosting Windows containers. Monitoring and restricting the use of symbolic links and junction points within container environments can reduce exploitation risk. Employing application whitelisting and endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to detect anomalous privilege escalation attempts is recommended. Network segmentation to isolate container hosts and limiting network exposure of the Windows Container Manager Service can further reduce attack surface. Organizations should stay alert for official patches from Microsoft and apply them promptly once available. Additionally, conducting regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing focusing on container environments will help identify and remediate exploitation attempts.