SYSTEM privilege escalation via RIO buffer race
Published Aug 13, 2024 · Updated Oct 21, 2025
Use-after-free in Microsoft Windows AFD.sys allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges through concurrent Registered I/O requests. A race between AfdRioGetAndCacheBuffer and AfdRioDereferenceBuffer leaves a freed RIOBuffer cached after its reference count is mishandled. A low-privileged local process must win the race; controlled reallocation then enables kernel writes that can modify its token privileges.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Microsoft Windows AFD.sys allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges through concurrent Registered I/O requests. A race between AfdRioGetAndCacheBuffer and AfdRioDereferenceBuffer leaves a freed RIOBuffer cached after its reference count is mishandled. A low-privileged local process must win the race; controlled reallocation then enables kernel writes that can modify its token privileges.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-38193
- Published
- Aug 13, 2024
- Updated
- Oct 21, 2025
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows 10 Version 1507
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 13, 2024Exploitation reportedCISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog listing
- Aug 13, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 21, 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=10.0.10240.0 <10.0.10240.20751
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
- Microsoft Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock Privilege Escalationfunctional · demonstrated
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Reported exploitation
- CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog listingknown exploited catalog
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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