CVE-2024-38107 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809 (build 10.0.17763.0), specifically within the Windows Power Dependency Coordinator component. The vulnerability is classified as a Use After Free (CWE-416) flaw, which occurs when a program continues to use a pointer after the memory it points to has been freed. This can lead to unpredictable behavior including memory corruption, crashes, or the execution of arbitrary code. In this case, the vulnerability allows for an elevation of privilege, meaning an attacker with limited privileges (low-level privileges) can exploit this flaw to gain higher privileges on the affected system. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.8, indicating a high severity level. The vector string (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:F/RL:O/RC:C) shows that the attack requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), and low privileges (PR:L) but no user interaction (UI:N). The scope is unchanged (S:U), and the impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is high (C:H/I:H/A:H). The exploitability is functional (E:F), and the remediation level is official (RL:O) with confirmed report confidence (RC:C). 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 August 2024. The Windows Power Dependency Coordinator is a system component responsible for managing power dependencies between devices and drivers, so exploitation could allow attackers to manipulate system behavior or gain kernel-level privileges, potentially leading to full system compromise or persistent control over the affected machine.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially for enterprises and government agencies still running legacy Windows 10 Version 1809 systems. The elevation of privilege exploit could allow attackers who have gained limited access—such as through phishing, malware, or insider threats—to escalate their privileges to SYSTEM or kernel level. This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, disruption of critical services, or deployment of ransomware and other malware with high privileges. Given the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, organizations could face data breaches, operational downtime, and regulatory penalties under GDPR if personal data is compromised. The lack of user interaction requirement increases the risk of automated or stealthy exploitation. Although no exploits are known in the wild yet, the presence of a public CVE and detailed technical information may lead to rapid development of exploit code. Organizations in sectors with high-value targets such as finance, healthcare, critical infrastructure, and government are particularly at risk.

1. Immediate prioritization of patching: Organizations should verify if Microsoft has released any security updates or workarounds for CVE-2024-38107 and apply them promptly. 2. Upgrade legacy systems: Since Windows 10 Version 1809 is an older release, organizations should plan to upgrade to supported and fully patched Windows versions to reduce exposure to this and other vulnerabilities. 3. Restrict local access: Limit the number of users with local access rights on critical systems, enforce the principle of least privilege, and monitor for unusual privilege escalation attempts. 4. Implement application control and endpoint detection: Use application whitelisting and advanced endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to detect and block suspicious activities related to memory corruption or privilege escalation. 5. Network segmentation: Isolate legacy systems from critical network segments to reduce the blast radius if exploitation occurs. 6. Monitor logs and alerts: Enhance monitoring for signs of exploitation attempts, such as unusual process behavior or privilege escalation events in Windows Event Logs. 7. User training and awareness: Although user interaction is not required for this exploit, maintaining good security hygiene reduces initial footholds for attackers. 8. Incident response readiness: Prepare and test incident response plans to quickly contain and remediate any exploitation attempts involving this vulnerability.