CVE-2024-49075 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809, specifically affecting the Remote Desktop Services (RDS) component. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-400, which relates to uncontrolled resource consumption, commonly known as a denial of service (DoS) condition. This flaw allows an unauthenticated attacker to remotely trigger excessive resource usage on a vulnerable system by sending specially crafted requests to the RDS service. Because the attack vector is network-based (AV:N), requires no privileges (PR:N), and no user interaction (UI:N), it can be exploited remotely and silently, making it a significant threat. The vulnerability impacts system availability by exhausting resources, potentially causing the affected Windows 10 system to become unresponsive or crash, disrupting legitimate remote desktop sessions and other services relying on RDS. The CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 reflects the high impact on availability with no impact on confidentiality or integrity. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches have been linked yet, indicating that organizations must proactively monitor for updates. The affected version is Windows 10 Version 1809 (build 10.0.17763.0), which is an older release but still in use in some environments, particularly those with legacy systems or delayed upgrade cycles. The vulnerability's exploitation does not compromise data confidentiality or integrity but can significantly disrupt business operations by denying remote access capabilities, critical for remote work and system administration.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-49075 can be substantial, especially for those relying on Windows 10 Version 1809 in their infrastructure. Remote Desktop Services are widely used for remote administration, teleworking, and access to centralized applications. A successful DoS attack could lead to downtime of critical systems, loss of productivity, and disruption of services. This is particularly critical in sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and manufacturing, where remote access is essential for operational continuity. Additionally, the inability to access systems remotely during an incident could delay incident response and recovery efforts. Although the vulnerability does not expose sensitive data directly, the operational impact and potential cascading effects on business processes and service availability can be severe. European organizations with strict regulatory requirements for uptime and service availability (e.g., under GDPR and sector-specific regulations) may face compliance risks if service disruptions occur. The lack of known exploits in the wild provides a window for mitigation, but the ease of exploitation and network accessibility of RDS services necessitate immediate attention.

1. Immediate mitigation should focus on restricting network access to Remote Desktop Services. Implement network-level controls such as VPNs, IP whitelisting, and firewall rules to limit RDS exposure to trusted networks and users only. 2. Disable RDS on systems where it is not required to reduce the attack surface. 3. For systems that must use RDS, consider enabling Network Level Authentication (NLA) to add an additional layer of authentication before establishing a session, although this vulnerability does not require authentication to exploit. 4. Monitor network traffic for unusual patterns or spikes in RDS-related connections that could indicate exploitation attempts. 5. Maintain up-to-date inventory of Windows 10 Version 1809 systems and prioritize their upgrade to supported and patched Windows versions, as Version 1809 is nearing or past end-of-support status. 6. Apply any forthcoming security patches from Microsoft as soon as they are released. 7. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to detect and respond to abnormal resource consumption or service crashes related to RDS. 8. Educate IT staff about this vulnerability and ensure incident response plans include scenarios involving RDS DoS attacks.