CVE-2024-38011 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809 (build 10.0.17763.0). The vulnerability is classified under CWE-130, which pertains to improper handling of length parameter inconsistencies. Specifically, this flaw allows an attacker to bypass the Secure Boot security feature. Secure Boot is a critical security mechanism designed to ensure that only trusted software is loaded during the system boot process, preventing unauthorized or malicious code from executing early in the boot sequence. The vulnerability arises due to improper validation or handling of length parameters, which can lead to inconsistent or incorrect processing of Secure Boot components. This inconsistency can be exploited by an attacker with network access (Attack Vector: Adjacent Network) and no privileges (PR:N), but requires user interaction (UI:R). Successful exploitation could result in a complete compromise of system confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as the attacker can bypass Secure Boot protections and potentially load malicious bootloaders or kernel-level malware. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.0, indicating a high severity level. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability was reserved in June 2024 and published in July 2024, indicating recent discovery and disclosure.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-38011 can be significant, especially for those relying on Windows 10 Version 1809 in critical infrastructure, government, finance, healthcare, and industrial sectors. Bypassing Secure Boot undermines the foundational trust model of system integrity, potentially allowing attackers to install persistent, stealthy malware that can evade detection by traditional security tools. This could lead to data breaches, ransomware deployment, espionage, or disruption of essential services. Given that many European enterprises and public sector entities still operate legacy Windows 10 systems, the risk of exploitation is tangible. The requirement for user interaction and adjacent network access somewhat limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate risk, particularly in environments where phishing or social engineering can induce user actions. The high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact means that successful exploitation could cause severe operational and reputational damage, regulatory penalties under GDPR, and loss of sensitive data.

To mitigate this vulnerability effectively, European organizations should: 1) Prioritize upgrading or patching Windows 10 Version 1809 systems as soon as Microsoft releases an official patch. 2) Where patching is not immediately possible, consider disabling network protocols or services that allow adjacent network access to vulnerable systems to reduce attack surface. 3) Enforce strict user awareness training to reduce the likelihood of successful social engineering or phishing that could trigger the required user interaction. 4) Implement application whitelisting and endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting anomalous bootloader or kernel-level activity. 5) Audit and enforce Secure Boot configurations in BIOS/UEFI settings to ensure they are enabled and properly configured. 6) Monitor network traffic for unusual patterns that could indicate attempts to exploit this vulnerability. 7) Plan for migration to supported Windows versions with ongoing security updates to reduce exposure to legacy vulnerabilities.