CVE-2024-38260
Microsoft Windows Server 2012 r2
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2024-38260 is a high-severity Use of Uninitialized Resource (CWE-908) vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Server 2012. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique OS Credential Dumping (T1003); ranked in the top 26% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SA-15 (Development Process, Standards, and Tools) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2024-38260 is a remote code execution vulnerability in the Windows Remote Desktop Licensing Service. It carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 with the vector string AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H and is also associated with CWE-908. The flaw was publicly disclosed on 10 September 2024.
An attacker with low-privileged network access can exploit the issue without user interaction to execute arbitrary code, resulting in full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability on the affected system. The service component therefore allows remote attackers who already possess limited credentials to escalate to complete control of the licensing host.
The sole reference points to the Microsoft Security Response Center advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-38260, which is the authoritative source for patch availability and mitigation guidance. The associated EPSS score remains low, reaching a modest peak of 0.0502 before receding to the current value of 0.0397, with no indication of in-the-wild exploitation.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2024-37225
Vulnerability Data
Windows Remote Desktop Licensing Service Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Developer testing and evaluation (including static analysis) can find uses of uninitialized resources after they are coded.
Requiring documented development standards and tools can mandate initialization checks and safe patterns that stop the weakness from being introduced.
Engineering principles can require explicit resource initialization before use, structurally avoiding uninitialized access.
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.
Secure SDLC activities such as static analysis and code review directly prevent use of uninitialized resources while also addressing many other weaknesses.
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.
Security testing in development and acceptance can detect uninitialized resource usage through dynamic analysis and fuzzing.
Secure development life cycle mandates initialization checks and static analysis that can catch uninitialized resource use.
Application security requirements can specify mandatory initialization of variables and resources before use.
Secure system architecture and engineering principles include defensive coding practices that prevent use of uninitialized memory or objects.
Secure coding standards directly require explicit initialization of all variables and resources, substantially mitigating CWE-908.