Cyber Resilience

CVE-2024-20656

High

Published: 09 January 2024

Published
09 January 2024
Modified
21 November 2024
KEV Added
Patch
CVSS Score v3.1 7.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.5433 98.1th percentile
Risk Priority 48 60% EPSS · 20% KEV · 20% CVSS

Summary

CVE-2024-20656 is a high-severity Link Following (CWE-59) vulnerability in Microsoft Visual Studio 2022. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).

Operationally, ranked in the top 1.9% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

Deeper analysis

CVE-2024-20656 is an elevation of privilege vulnerability in Visual Studio. It carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 with the vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H and is associated with CWE-59. The flaw allows an attacker to gain unauthorized elevated access on an affected system.

An attacker with local access and low privileges can exploit the issue without user interaction, resulting in full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability on the target host. The vulnerability therefore enables a local user to elevate privileges to a higher context within Visual Studio installations.

Microsoft has published guidance for the vulnerability through its Security Response Center at the listed advisory URL, directing administrators to available updates that address the reported weakness. The associated EPSS score reached a peak of 0.6274 and currently stands at 0.5433, indicating moderate and sustained exploitation interest since disclosure.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability details

Visual Studio Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

CWE(s)

Related Threats

No named actor attribution yet. ATT&CK technique mapping in progress for this CVE.

Affected Assets

microsoft
visual studio
2015
microsoft
visual studio 2017
15.0 — 15.9.59
microsoft
visual studio 2019
16.0 — 16.11.33
microsoft
visual studio 2022
17.2 — 17.2.23 · 17.4 — 17.4.15 · 17.6 — 17.6.11

Mitigating Controls

No mitigating controls mapped yet. The per-CVE control annotator has not reached this CVE.

References