Incorrect Default PermissionsWeakness · CWE-276

CVE-2024-13972

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-07-17
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
90/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
A vulnerability related to registry permissions in the Intercept X for Windows updater prior to Core Agent version 2024.3.2 can lead to a local user gaining SYSTEM level privileges during a product upgrade.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

A registry permissions vulnerability in the Intercept X for Windows updater (versions prior to Core Agent 2024.3.2) allows a local authenticated user to manipulate registry keys during product upgrades to gain SYSTEM-level privileges.

MitigationUpdate Intercept X Core Agent to version 2024.3.2 or later to remediate the registry permission vulnerability.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check Intercept X Core Agent version
    Open Windows Settings > Apps > Apps & Features, or run 'Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion' to find the installed version of Intercept X Core Agent
    Affected if The installed version is present but earlier than 2024.3.2
  2. Verify the updater component exists
    Check if the Deep Security or Intercept X updater service is installed. Run 'Get-Service | Where-Object {$_.DisplayName -like "*Deep Security*" -or $_.DisplayName -like "*Intercept X*"}' or look for updater-related services in Services.msc
    Affected if The updater service exists and the agent version is below 2024.3.2
  3. Inspect registry key permissions
    Examine registry keys under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Sophos or the product's registry location for the updater. Use regedit or 'Get-Acl HKLM:\SOFTWARE\* | Select-Object Path, Owner, AccessToString' to check if standard users have write permissions to updater-related keys
    Affected if Non-admin users have write or modify access to updater registry keys and the agent version is below 2024.3.2

You are affected if Intercept X Core Agent for Windows is installed with a version earlier than 2024.3.2 and the updater registry keys permit modifications by authenticated local users.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update Intercept X Core Agent to version 2024.3.2 or later to remediate the registry permission vulnerability.

Recommended fix High confidence

Core Agent version 2024.3.2 or later

  1. Verify the current version of Sophos Intercept X Core Agent installed on the system
  2. Initiate an update through the Sophos Central management console, or run a local update check within the Intercept X agent
  3. Upgrade to Core Agent version 2024.3.2 or later to remediate the registry permission vulnerability
  4. Confirm the upgrade completed successfully and verify the new version number

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $910
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Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-13972 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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