SYSTEM privilege escalation via use-after-free
Published Jan 9, 2024 · Updated Jun 3, 2025
Use-after-free in Windows Subsystem for Linux allows local users with low privileges to gain SYSTEM privileges on affected Windows builds. The WSL component accesses memory after freeing it, but Microsoft has not disclosed the affected function or attacker-controlled operation. Successful exploitation requires local low-privilege access and grants SYSTEM control, permitting data access, modification, or service interruption.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Windows Subsystem for Linux allows local users with low privileges to gain SYSTEM privileges on affected Windows builds. The WSL component accesses memory after freeing it, but Microsoft has not disclosed the affected function or attacker-controlled operation. Successful exploitation requires local low-privilege access and grants SYSTEM control, permitting data access, modification, or service interruption.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-20681
- Published
- Jan 9, 2024
- Updated
- Jun 3, 2025
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows 11 version 21H2
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 9, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jun 3, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=10.0.0 <10.0.22000.2713
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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