Cyber Resilience

CVE-2024-38049

Path Traversal in Microsoft Windows Server 2008 r2

Published
09 July 2024
Modified
21 November 2024
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 6.6
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.016 73th percentile
Risk Priority 52 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2024-38049 is a medium-severity External Control of File Name or Path (CWE-73) vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Server 2008. Its CVSS base score is 6.6 (Medium).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Data from Local System (T1005); ranked in the top 27% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and AC-4 (Information Flow Enforcement) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Windows Distributed Transaction Coordinator Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

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.
T1083 File and Directory Discovery Discovery
Adversaries may enumerate files and directories or may search in specific locations of a host or network share for certain information within a file system.
T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
T1552 Unsecured Credentials Credential Access
Adversaries may search compromised systems to find and obtain insecurely stored credentials.
T1574.007 Path Interception by PATH Environment Variable Stealth
Adversaries may execute their own malicious payloads by hijacking environment variables used to load libraries.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2024-20652Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2023-35384Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2025-24996Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2025-21377Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2025-33053Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2024-43451Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2025-24054Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2023-35308Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2023-29324Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2025-59185Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507

Affected Assets

microsoft
windows 10 1507
≤ 10.0.10240.20710
microsoft
windows 10 1607
≤ 10.0.14393.7159
microsoft
windows 10 1809
≤ 10.0.17763.6054
microsoft
windows 10 21h2
≤ 10.0.19044.4651
microsoft
windows 10 22h2
≤ 10.0.19045.4651
microsoft
windows 11 21h2
≤ 10.0.22000.3079
microsoft
windows 11 22h2
≤ 10.0.22621.3880
microsoft
windows 11 23h2
≤ 10.0.22631.3880
microsoft
windows server 2008
all versions, r2
microsoft
windows server 2012
all versions, r2
+4 more product configuration(s) — see NVD for full list

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 3 hardening rules · 2 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V5.3.2

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

Enforces access authorizations so externally supplied references cannot reach resources outside the intended sphere.

Controls information flow between security domains, blocking resolution of external references to unintended spheres.

Input validation directly rejects or sanitizes untrusted path strings before they reach filesystem operations.

Least-privilege limits the set of files or directories any subject can affect, shrinking the blast radius of a path-control flaw.

Monitors and controls boundary communications, limiting the ability of external references to reach protected resources.

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-06 full match
prevents

Secure SDLC practices include input validation and path sanitization that eliminate this weakness.

PR.AA-05 mostly match
prevents

Least-privilege file authorization directly limits damage from externally controlled paths.

DE.CM-09 partial match
prevents

Runtime monitoring of software and data flows can detect anomalous external resource accesses that result from this weakness.

PR.IR-01 partial match
prevents

Network segmentation and access controls limit the blast radius when an external reference escapes its intended sphere.

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.

finds

Security testing can detect path-traversal issues but does not itself implement preventive controls.

prevents

Secure development lifecycle mandates input validation and path-handling controls that directly prevent external file/path manipulation.

prevents

Application security requirements explicitly call for controls against untrusted input influencing file operations.

prevents

Secure architecture principles discourage unsafe path construction but do not prescribe concrete file-name controls.

prevents

Secure coding standards require canonicalization, allow-listing, and bounds checks on file paths, directly eliminating CWE-73.

mitigates

Information access restriction limits which files can be reached, indirectly reducing impact of path manipulation.

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

Oracle Linux 8 (1 rule)
  • V-248577 OL 8 must enable kernel parameters to enforce Discretionary Access Control (DAC) on symlinks. prevents CWE-610

References