CVE-2024-38095 is a vulnerability identified in Microsoft PowerShell version 7.4.0, classified under CWE-20 for improper input validation. This flaw allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to send specially crafted input to PowerShell, causing a denial of service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of input data, which leads to resource exhaustion or application crash, impacting the availability of the PowerShell service. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5, indicating high severity, with an attack vector of network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), and no user interaction (UI:N). The scope remains unchanged (S:U), and the impact is limited to availability (A:H) with no confidentiality or integrity impact. No known exploits have been reported in the wild yet, but the vulnerability is publicly disclosed and should be considered a serious risk for environments using PowerShell 7.4.0, especially in automated and scripted operations where PowerShell is heavily utilized. The lack of patches at the time of disclosure necessitates immediate attention to monitoring and mitigation strategies.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2024-38095 is the potential disruption of critical automation, orchestration, and administrative tasks that rely on PowerShell 7.4.0. This can lead to downtime in IT operations, delayed incident response, and interruptions in business processes dependent on PowerShell scripting. Sectors such as finance, healthcare, energy, and government, which often use PowerShell for system management and automation, could face operational challenges. The denial of service could also affect cloud environments and hybrid infrastructures where PowerShell is used for managing resources. Although no data confidentiality or integrity is compromised, the availability impact can degrade service reliability and increase operational costs. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially given the ease of exploitation and network accessibility.

1. Monitor official Microsoft channels for patches addressing CVE-2024-38095 and apply them promptly once available. 2. Until patches are released, restrict network access to PowerShell remoting endpoints using firewalls and network segmentation to limit exposure. 3. Implement strict input validation and filtering on any interfaces that accept PowerShell commands or scripts from external sources. 4. Use application whitelisting and endpoint protection solutions to detect and block abnormal PowerShell activity indicative of exploitation attempts. 5. Employ logging and monitoring of PowerShell usage to quickly identify and respond to potential denial of service attempts. 6. Consider temporarily downgrading or avoiding the use of PowerShell 7.4.0 in critical environments if feasible. 7. Educate IT and security teams about this vulnerability to ensure rapid detection and response. 8. Review and harden PowerShell execution policies and remoting configurations to minimize attack surface.