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Uncontrolled Search Path (DLL Hijack)Weakness · CWE-427

CVE-2024-24852

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-02-12
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
67/100
Remediation priority · Elevated

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
Uncontrolled search path in some Intel(R) Ethernet Adapter Complete Driver Pack install before versions 29.1 may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.

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

This is an uncontrolled search path vulnerability (also known as DLL hijacking) in the Intel Ethernet Adapter Complete Driver Pack installer. The installer searches for required DLLs in locations that may be writable by unprivileged users, allowing an authenticated attacker to place malicious DLLs that get loaded during the installation process, resulting in privilege escalation to SYSTEM level.

MitigationUpgrade to Intel Ethernet Adapter Complete Driver Pack version 29.1 or later to obtain the patched installer that properly secures the DLL search path.

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
High
Privileges
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/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. Identify the installed Intel Ethernet Adapter Complete Driver Pack version
    Open Windows Control Panel, go to Programs and Features, find 'Intel Ethernet Adapter Complete Driver Pack' in the list, and note the version column. Alternatively, check the installation directory for version information if known.
    Affected if The installed version is earlier than 29.1 (the patched version).
  2. Locate the installer executable used
    Check the Windows Installer cache (typically C:\Windows\Installer) or the original download location for the Intel Ethernet Adapter Complete Driver Pack installer MSI or EXE file. Right-click the file, select Properties, and view the File Version.
    Affected if The installer file version is earlier than 29.1, indicating an unpatched installer was used.
  3. Audit writable directories in common DLL search paths
    Using icacls or Sysinternals AccessChk, examine directories in the system PATH and Windows system folders (C:\Windows\System32, C:\Windows\SysWOW64) for permissions allowing non-admin users to write files. Also check the temp directory location.
    Affected if Any directory in the DLL search path is writable by low-privilege users, creating the condition for DLL planting.
  4. Inspect for suspicious unsigned DLLs in installer-related directories
    Review the Windows temp folder (%TEMP%) and any folder where the Intel driver pack was extracted for unrecognized DLL files, especially those with recent timestamps matching or following the installer execution date. Check DLL properties for digital signature status.
    Affected if Unsigned or unexpected DLLs are present in directories used during installation, suggesting potential DLL hijacking attempt.

A system is affected if the Intel Ethernet Adapter Complete Driver Pack version is earlier than 29.1 AND the installer was run with elevated privileges in an environment where unprivileged users can write to directories in the DLL search path.

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

Upgrade to Intel Ethernet Adapter Complete Driver Pack version 29.1 or later to obtain the patched installer that properly secures the DLL search path.

Recommended fix High confidence

Intel Ethernet Adapter Complete Driver Pack version 29.1 or later

  1. Identify the current version of Intel(R) Ethernet Adapter Complete Driver Pack installed on the system
  2. Navigate to Intel's official support website or Intel Driver & Support Assistant
  3. Download Intel(R) Ethernet Adapter Complete Driver Pack version 29.1 or later
  4. Run the installer with administrative privileges
  5. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the driver pack update
  6. Restart the system if prompted to ensure all changes take effect

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
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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-2024-24852 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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