CVE-2024-38193: Microsoft Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
Affects Microsoft WindowsSource CISA KEV
Exploited in the wild · KEV due 3 Sep 2024 · public exploit available (Exploit-DB) · 28% EPSS : apply the vendor's fix or mitigations to Microsoft Windows now.
Data as of 10/24/2026, 22:16:00 UTC
- Exploitation
Actively exploited – in CISA KEV since 08/13/2024
- KEV deadline
- 09/03/2024 US federal agencies must patch by this date; a sensible deadline for everyone else.
- EPSS
- 28.7% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 98% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Public exploits
- 1 Exploit-DB entryPublic attack or detection tooling exists; see Public exploits below.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:F/RL:O/RC:CWhat to do
CISA required action
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Public exploits and detection
Public tooling indexed from Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB and ProjectDiscovery nuclei-templates. Its existence raises the odds of exploitation; it does not confirm attacks.
Description
Microsoft Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock contains an unspecified vulnerability that allows for privilege escalation, enabling a local attacker to gain SYSTEM privileges.
Weaknesses
- CWE-416Use After Free (opens in a new tab)
Variant weaknessLikelihood of exploit: HighCWE Top 25 (2025): #7
The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.