Security Resilience

CVE-2024-21435

Microsoft Windows 11 22H2 ≤ 10.0.22621.3296

Published
12 March 2024
Modified
17 June 2026
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 8.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.020 81th percentile
Risk Priority 68 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2024-21435 is a high-severity Untrusted Search Path (CWE-426) vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 11 22H2. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Path Interception by Unquoted Path (T1574.009); ranked in the top 19% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to CM-6 (Configuration Settings) and CM-7 (Least Functionality) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A08:2025 Software or Data Integrity Failures

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Windows OLE Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

CWE(s)
CWE-426

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1574.009 Path Interception by Unquoted Path Stealth
Adversaries may execute their own malicious payloads by hijacking vulnerable file path references.
attack.mitre.org →
T1001.001 Junk Data Command And Control
Adversaries may add junk data to protocols used for command and control to make detection more difficult.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.003 NTDS Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access or create a copy of the Active Directory domain database in order to steal credential information, as well as obtain other information about domain members such as devices, users, and access rights.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.004 LSA Secrets Credential Access
Adversaries with SYSTEM access to a host may attempt to access Local Security Authority (LSA) secrets, which can contain a variety of different credential materials, such as credentials for service accounts.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.006 DCSync Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access credentials and other sensitive information by abusing a Windows Domain Controller's application programming interface (API)(Citation: Microsoft DRSR Dec 2017) (Citation: Microsoft GetNCCChanges) (Citati…
attack.mitre.org →
T1005 Data from Local System Collection
Adversaries may search local system sources, such as file systems, configuration files, local databases, virtual machine files, or process memory, to find files of interest and sensitive data prior to Exfiltration.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-36898Same product: Microsoft Windows 11 22H2
CVE-2023-36003Same product: Microsoft Windows 11 22H2
CVE-2024-20693Same product: Microsoft Windows 11 22H2
CVE-2023-36393Same product: Microsoft Windows 11 22H2
CVE-2026-56174Same product: Microsoft Windows 11 23H2
CVE-2023-35343Same product: Microsoft Windows 11 22H2
CVE-2024-38165Same product: Microsoft Windows 11 22H2
CVE-2024-26185Same product: Microsoft Windows 11 22H2
CVE-2023-36396Same product: Microsoft Windows 11 22H2
CVE-2023-41766Same product: Microsoft Windows 11 22H2

Affected Assets

microsoft
windows 11 22h2
≤ 10.0.22621.3296 · ≤ 10.0.22621.3296
microsoft
windows 11 23h2
≤ 10.0.22631.3296 · ≤ 10.0.22631.3296

Mitigating Controls

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

CM-6 Configuration Settings good match

Secure baseline settings can enforce absolute, organization-controlled paths for critical resources.

CM-7 Least Functionality partial match

Least-functionality configuration can prohibit unapproved directories or executables from being reachable via search paths.

SA-8 Security and Privacy Engineering Principles partial match

Engineering principles such as trusted paths, complete mediation, and least privilege directly require hard-coded or validated search paths instead of external ones.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-01 partial match
blocks

Hardened configuration baselines can enforce safe search paths and restrict environment variables that enable the weakness.

PR.PS-05 partial match
blocks

Preventing execution of unauthorized code directly blocks the malicious binaries that an untrusted search path would load.

PR.PS-06 partial match
blocks

Secure development practices include avoiding or sanitizing externally influenced search paths in application code.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.5.14 Information transfer partial match
removes
A.5.15 Access control partial match
removes
A.5.16 Identity management partial match
removes
A.5.17 Authentication information partial match
removes
A.5.18 Access rights partial match
removes
A.8.10 Information deletion partial match
removes

References