CVE-2024-38163

FAQ

How do I protect myself from this vulnerability?

The vulnerability pertains to a previous installer version which has been superseded by the new WinRE installer. Since the vulnerability is only exploitable at the install time, users need to take no action to be protected from this vulnerability. See the linked Article in the Security Updates table about the update for your particular Windows version.

What privileges could be gained by an attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability?

An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain SYSTEM privileges.

How do I know if I need to install the update to be protected from this vulnerability?

You do not need to install the standalone updates listed in the Security Updates table if either of the following applies:

1. You have installed the January 9, 2024 or newer SafeOS Dynamic Update for your operating system, available on the Microsoft Update Catalog.
2. If the WinRE image on your machine has a version greater than or equal to the following, based on the installed operating system. To determine the version of your WinRE image, check the WinREVersion registry value at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion:

• Windows 11, version 21H2: WinRE Version must be >= 10.0.22000.2710
• Windows Server 2022: WinRE Version must be >= 10.0.20348.2201
• Windows 10, version 21H2 and Windows 10, version 22H2: WinRE Version must be >= 10.0.19041.3920

Note that the update will not be offered if your machine does not have enough free space on your WinRE Recovery Partition, or if you do not have WinRE enabled.