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Microsoft Windows 11 Pro 23H2 - Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock Privilege Escalation

High
Published: Fri May 09 2025 (05/09/2025, 00:00:00 UTC)
Source: Exploit-DB RSS Feed

Description

Microsoft Windows 11 Pro 23H2 - Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock Privilege Escalation

AI-Powered Analysis

AILast updated: 06/11/2025, 21:08:53 UTC

Technical Analysis

This security threat concerns a local privilege escalation vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 11 Pro version 23H2, specifically targeting the Ancillary Function Driver (AFD) for WinSock, identified as CVE-2024-38193. The vulnerability resides in the AFD device driver, which is responsible for network socket operations in Windows. The exploit leverages improper handling of IOCTL (Input Output Control) requests to the AFD driver, allowing a local attacker to escalate privileges from a lower-privileged user context to SYSTEM level. The exploit code, written in C, manipulates internal kernel structures and crafted IRP (I/O Request Packets) to gain arbitrary kernel memory read/write capabilities. It abuses specific IOCTL codes such as IOCTL_AFD_BIND, IOCTL_AFD_LISTEN, and IOCTL_AFD_CONNECT to interact with the AFD driver. The exploit crafts fake token structures and manipulates security attributes to impersonate higher-privileged tokens, effectively granting SYSTEM privileges. The code includes detailed kernel data structures and offsets, indicating a deep understanding of Windows kernel internals, including token privileges, security descriptors, and process token manipulation. No authentication or user interaction is required beyond local code execution, making it a powerful escalation vector for attackers who have already compromised a low-privilege account. Although no patches or mitigations are linked yet, the exploit demonstrates a reliable method to bypass Windows security boundaries via the AFD driver.

Potential Impact

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk as it allows attackers with local access to escalate privileges to SYSTEM level, potentially leading to full system compromise. This can facilitate lateral movement, persistence, and deployment of ransomware or espionage tools within corporate networks. Organizations relying on Windows 11 Pro 23H2, especially in environments where users have local access or where endpoint security is weak, are at risk. The exploit can be used post-initial compromise to elevate privileges and disable security controls, extract sensitive data, or disrupt operations. Given the prevalence of Windows 11 Pro in enterprise environments across Europe, this vulnerability could be leveraged in targeted attacks against critical infrastructure, government agencies, and private sector companies. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently suggests limited immediate threat, but the public availability of exploit code increases the risk of rapid weaponization.

Mitigation Recommendations

Apply any forthcoming Microsoft security updates promptly once available, as this vulnerability affects a core Windows driver. Implement strict local user access controls and minimize the number of users with local login rights on critical systems. Use application control policies (e.g., Microsoft Defender Application Control) to restrict execution of unauthorized binaries and scripts, reducing the chance of exploit execution. Deploy Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting abnormal kernel-level operations or suspicious IOCTL calls to the AFD driver. Monitor system logs and kernel event tracing for unusual activity related to AFD device interactions or token manipulations. Consider enabling Windows Defender Credential Guard and virtualization-based security features to harden token and credential protections. Restrict use of legacy or unnecessary network protocols that rely on the AFD driver where possible to reduce attack surface. Conduct regular privilege audits and enforce the principle of least privilege to limit potential impact of local exploits.

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Technical Details

Edb Id
52284
Has Exploit Code
true
Code Language
c

Indicators of Compromise

Exploit Source Code

Exploit Code

Exploit code for Microsoft Windows 11 Pro 23H2 - Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock Privilege Escalation

# Exploit Title: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro 23H2 - Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock Privilege Escalation
# Date: 2025-05-05
# Exploit Author: Milad Karimi (Ex3ptionaL)
# Contact: miladgrayhat@gmail.com
# Zone-H: www.zone-h.org/archive/notifier=Ex3ptionaL
# Tested on: Win x64
# CVE : CVE-2024-38193

#pragma once

#include "ntstatus.h"
#include "Windows.h"
#include <iostream>

#pragma comment(lib, "ntdll.lib")


#define HIDWORD(l) ((DWORD)(((DWORDLONG)(l)>>32)&0xFFFFFFFF))
#define LODWORD(l) ((
... (23684 more characters)
Code Length: 24,184 characters • Language: C/C++

Threat ID: 68489e0f7e6d765d51d53d85

Added to database: 6/10/2025, 9:05:19 PM

Last enriched: 6/11/2025, 9:08:53 PM

Last updated: 8/17/2025, 10:23:55 PM

Views: 24

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