Windows Kernel-Mode Driver Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2024-35250) Analysis and Mitigation Guide
Executive & SecOps Summary
SECOPS ASSESSMENTMost supported Windows 10, 11, and Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022 operating system kernel environments.
A local attacker with low privileges can exploit an untrusted pointer dereference (CWE-822) to execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges.
Immediately apply the latest Windows Cumulative Updates (June 2024 or later) and monitor for Indicators of Compromise (IoCs).
Affected Products & Version Scope
Remediation & Live Workaround Commands
PATCH & WORKAROUND1. Official Patch & Version Upgrade Commands
Applying the official Microsoft security update is the primary remediation. Use the following PowerShell commands to check and force cumulative updates.
# Install and run Windows Update module to apply latest patches
Install-Module PSWindowsUpdate -Force -Verbose
Get-WindowsUpdate -AcceptAll -Install -AutoReboot2. Temporary Workaround & Hardening Configuration
While there is no direct workaround for the kernel driver itself, you can harden the system by enabling advanced process creation auditing to detect privilege escalation attempts.
# Enable Process Creation Auditing and Command Line Logging
auditpol /set /subcategory:'Process Creation' /success:enable /failure:enable
reg add 'HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\Audit' /v ProcessCreationIncludeCmdLine_Enabled /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f3. Log Audit & IoC Verification Commands
Verify the patch status by checking the file version and modification date of the ks.sys driver on the system.
# Check the file version and last write time of ks.sys
Get-Item -Path 'C:\Windows\System32\drivers\ks.sys' | Select-Object VersionInfo, LastWriteTimeBlock Kernel Privilege Escalation & Ransomware Payloads Before You Can Reboot
Protect unpatched Windows, Linux, and macOS workloads against in-memory exploitation and lateral movement with autonomous EDR.
Technical Root Cause & Exploitation Mechanics
1. Vulnerability Overview & Root Cause
This vulnerability (CVE-2024-35250) is an Elevation of Privilege (EoP) vulnerability residing in the Windows Kernel-Mode Driver (ks.sys - Kernel Streaming). The root cause is an untrusted pointer dereference (CWE-822). It occurs when the kernel driver fails to properly validate and sanitize pointers passed within input data structures from user-mode applications, allowing arbitrary memory manipulation in kernel space.
2. Exploitation Mechanics & Attack Scenario
To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must first gain local access with low-privilege execution capabilities on the target system. The attacker then crafts and sends a malicious Input/Output Control (IOCTL) request to the vulnerable kernel streaming driver (ks.sys). Because the driver dereferences user-supplied pointers without validation, the attacker can overwrite critical kernel structures (such as the process Token pointer), effectively escalating their privileges to nt authority\system. This vulnerability is actively exploited in the wild and is listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
3. Infrastructure & Business Impact
Successful exploitation grants the attacker full control over the compromised system. In an enterprise environment, this allows threat actors who have established an initial foothold to perform lateral movement, deploy ransomware, and disable security controls (such as EDR/AV agents). Kernel-level compromise completely invalidates the security boundaries and integrity of the operating system.
Official Vendor Advisories & References
Windows Kernel-Mode Driver Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
Frequently Asked SecOps Questions (CVE-2024-35250)
FAQQ1. How critical is CVE-2024-35250 and is it actively exploited in the wild?
CVE-2024-35250 is rated CVSS 7.8 (HIGH) with a 30-day EPSS exploitation probability of 25.2%. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, requiring immediate emergency remediation.
Q2. Which vendors and products are affected by CVE-2024-35250?
Primary impacted vendors include microsoft across windows, windows_server. Scope summary: Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022, 2025, and other supported Windows OS versions.
Q3. What temporary mitigations or workarounds exist for CVE-2024-35250 before patching?
[Mitigation] Immediately apply the latest Windows Cumulative Updates (June 2024 or later) and monitor for Indicators of Compromise (IoCs). Follow the CLI remediation commands and interactive SecOps checklist on this page to restrict exposure prior to your maintenance window.
Generate an Internal Engineering Notice or CISO Report for CVE-2024-35250
Instantly format this advisory into an executive CISO summary or engineering patch ticket.
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