CVE-2024-38072 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in Microsoft Windows Server 2019, specifically affecting version 10.0.17763.0. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-476, which corresponds to a NULL Pointer Dereference issue. This flaw exists within the Windows Remote Desktop Licensing Service, a component responsible for managing Remote Desktop Services (RDS) licensing. A NULL Pointer Dereference occurs when the software attempts to access or manipulate memory through a pointer that has not been initialized or has been set to NULL, leading to an unexpected crash or denial of service (DoS). In this case, exploitation of the vulnerability can cause the Remote Desktop Licensing Service to crash, resulting in a denial of service condition that disrupts the availability of Remote Desktop Services on the affected server. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5, indicating a high severity level. The vector string (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C) reveals that the vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network without requiring privileges or user interaction, and it impacts availability only, without compromising confidentiality or integrity. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet, which suggests that organizations should prioritize monitoring and mitigation efforts. The vulnerability was reserved in June 2024 and published in July 2024, indicating recent discovery and disclosure.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-38072 can be significant, especially for enterprises and service providers relying on Windows Server 2019 for Remote Desktop Services. The denial of service caused by this vulnerability can disrupt remote access capabilities, potentially halting business operations that depend on remote administration, teleworking, or remote application delivery. This disruption can affect productivity, incident response, and business continuity. Although the vulnerability does not lead to data breaches or privilege escalation, the loss of availability in critical infrastructure components can have cascading effects, particularly in sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and manufacturing, where remote access is integral. Additionally, the ease of exploitation without authentication or user interaction increases the risk of automated attacks or worm-like propagation attempts. European organizations with remote workforce setups or those using RDS for client access are particularly vulnerable to operational interruptions. The absence of known exploits currently provides a window for proactive defense, but the high severity and network exposure necessitate urgent attention.

Given the lack of an official patch at the time of disclosure, European organizations should implement specific mitigations to reduce exposure. First, restrict network access to the Remote Desktop Licensing Service by applying firewall rules to limit inbound traffic to trusted IP addresses and networks only. Employ network segmentation to isolate servers running Windows Server 2019 with RDS roles from general user networks. Monitor Remote Desktop Licensing Service logs and system event logs for unusual crashes or service interruptions that may indicate exploitation attempts. Consider disabling the Remote Desktop Licensing Service temporarily if it is not essential or if alternative licensing mechanisms are available. Deploy intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS) with updated signatures to detect anomalous traffic patterns targeting RDS components. Maintain up-to-date backups and ensure that incident response plans include scenarios for RDS service outages. Once Microsoft releases a patch, prioritize its deployment in all affected environments. Additionally, review and enforce the principle of least privilege for accounts managing RDS infrastructure to limit potential damage from exploitation.