Secure Boot bypass via undisclosed stack overflow
Published Jul 9, 2024 · Updated Feb 10, 2026
Stack-based buffer overflow in Secure Boot in affected Microsoft Windows builds allows context-dependent attackers to bypass boot-chain verification. Microsoft has not published the affected function, input format, or unsafe stack operation beyond the CWE mapping. Exploitation requires adjacent access and user interaction; a successful bypass permits untrusted boot components to run before Windows establishes its trusted chain.
Summary
What happened
Stack-based buffer overflow in Secure Boot in affected Microsoft Windows builds allows context-dependent attackers to bypass boot-chain verification. Microsoft has not published the affected function, input format, or unsafe stack operation beyond the CWE mapping. Exploitation requires adjacent access and user interaction; a successful bypass permits untrusted boot components to run before Windows establishes its trusted chain.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-37978
- Published
- Jul 9, 2024
- Updated
- Feb 10, 2026
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows Server 2022, 23H2 Edition (Server Core installation)
- Classifications
- CWE-121, T1542.003
- Attack vector
- adjacent
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 9, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Feb 10, 2026Record 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=10.0.25398.0 <10.0.25398.1009
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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