CVE-2024-35250: 
vulnerability analysis and mitigation

Windows Kernel-Mode Driver Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2024-35250) is a critical security flaw discovered in Windows systems. The vulnerability was notably demonstrated during the Pwn2Own Vancouver 2024 competition and received a CVSS score of 7.8. This vulnerability affects various versions of Windows operating systems and allows attackers to gain SYSTEM privileges through the manipulation of the IOCTLKSPROPERTY request in Kernel Streaming (ks.sys) (Security Online).

The vulnerability resides in the handling of property requests within the ks.sys driver. When the KSPROPERTYTYPEUNSERIALIZESET flag is provided, it enables a series of operations that can lead to arbitrary IOCTL calls. The flaw occurs when user-supplied buffer is copied into newly allocated space and executed without proper validation. The vulnerability has been classified under CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer) and CWE-822 (Untrusted Pointer Dereference) (NVD).

Successful exploitation of CVE-2024-35250 allows attackers to gain SYSTEM privileges, effectively providing full control over the affected system. The vulnerability enables privilege escalation through arbitrary write operations, which can be used to replace process tokens and gain elevated system access (Security Online).

Microsoft addressed this critical vulnerability in its June 2024 Patch Tuesday update. Organizations and users are strongly advised to apply the security updates to mitigate the risks. Additional recommended security measures include enforcing the principle of least privilege, maintaining up-to-date software, and monitoring systems for unusual behavior (Security Online).

The vulnerability gained significant attention during the Pwn2Own Vancouver 2024 competition, where the Zero Day Initiative confirmed the DEVCORE Team's successful exploitation using multiple bugs, including a TOCTAU race condition (Security Online).