CVE-2024-37972 is a high-severity stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability (CWE-121) affecting Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809, specifically build 10.0.17763.0. The vulnerability is related to a Secure Boot security feature bypass, which suggests that it could allow an attacker to circumvent Secure Boot protections designed to ensure that only trusted software is loaded during the system startup process. The vulnerability is exploitable remotely (Attack Vector: Adjacent Network), requires no privileges (PR:N), but does require user interaction (UI:R). The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.0, indicating a high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution with high privileges due to the stack-based buffer overflow, potentially allowing attackers to execute malicious code during system boot or early startup phases, bypassing security controls. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet, indicating that mitigation may rely on vendor updates once available. The vulnerability's impact is critical because it undermines the Secure Boot mechanism, a fundamental security feature that protects against rootkits and bootkits by verifying the integrity and authenticity of the bootloader and OS kernel components. The vulnerability's exploitation could compromise system integrity at a very low level, leading to persistent and stealthy malware infections that are difficult to detect and remove.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially for enterprises and government agencies relying on Windows 10 Version 1809 in their infrastructure. The Secure Boot bypass could allow attackers to implant persistent malware that survives OS reinstalls and evades traditional endpoint security solutions. This could lead to data breaches, espionage, disruption of critical services, and loss of trust in IT systems. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, energy, and public administration are particularly at risk due to the sensitive nature of their data and criticality of their operations. The requirement for user interaction may limit mass exploitation but targeted attacks, such as spear-phishing or supply chain attacks, could still trigger the vulnerability. The lack of patches at the time of disclosure means organizations must be vigilant and implement interim mitigations to reduce exposure. Additionally, the vulnerability affects an older Windows 10 version, which may still be in use in legacy systems within European organizations, increasing the attack surface if these systems are not upgraded or isolated.

1. Immediate mitigation should focus on upgrading affected systems to a supported and patched Windows version as soon as Microsoft releases an official fix. 2. Until patches are available, organizations should enforce strict network segmentation and limit exposure of Windows 10 Version 1809 systems to untrusted networks to reduce the risk of remote exploitation. 3. Implement robust user awareness training to reduce the likelihood of successful user interaction-based attacks, such as phishing campaigns that could trigger the vulnerability. 4. Employ application whitelisting and endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts, especially during system boot phases. 5. Review and harden Secure Boot configurations and firmware settings to ensure they are not misconfigured or weakened, which could compound the vulnerability's impact. 6. Inventory and identify all systems running Windows 10 Version 1809 to prioritize remediation and monitor these endpoints closely for signs of compromise. 7. Consider isolating legacy systems or migrating critical workloads to newer, supported platforms to reduce the attack surface.