CVE-2024-38217
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 · uneditedWindows Mark of the Web Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability
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 · moderate confidenceThis vulnerability allows bypassing Windows Mark of the Web (MOTW) security feature, which normally tags files from untrusted sources (internet downloads, email attachments) to trigger warnings and restrict risky behaviors. Attackers could craft files that execute or behave as if they came from a trusted source, bypassing security warnings and protective restrictions designed to warn users about untrusted content.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 10.0.10240.20766< 10.0.14393.7336< 10.0.17763.6293< 10.0.19044.4894< 10.0.19045.4894< 10.0.22000.3197< 10.0.22621.4169< 10.0.22631.4169CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check Windows version and build numberRun 'winver' or 'systeminfo | findstr /C:"OS Version"' to obtain the full version and build numberAffected if The installed build number is lower than the fixed version for your Windows release (e.g., for Windows 10 22h2, build < 10.0.19045.4894)
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Verify MOTW is applied to downloaded filesDownload a test file from the internet, then run 'notepad testfile.exe:Zone.Identifier' or use PowerShell 'Get-Content -Path 'testfile.exe:Zone.Identifier'' to check for the Zone.Identifier alternate data streamAffected if The Zone.Identifier stream is missing, empty, or shows Zone=0 (trusted) instead of Zone=3 (internet) for a file known to be downloaded from the web
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Check for security update KB5034441Open Settings > Windows Update > Update history, or run 'Get-HotFix | Where-Object {$_.HotFixID -eq "KB5034441"}' in PowerShellAffected if The security update KB5034441 (or a subsequent CVE-2024-38217 patch) is not installed
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Test macro execution behaviorDownload an Office document containing macros from the internet and attempt to enable macros; observe whether the MOTW warning prompt appears or if macros run without warningAffected if Macros execute without any security warning or prompt, suggesting MOTW protections are bypassed
You are affected if your Windows build is below the fixed version AND downloaded files are missing proper MOTW Zone.Identifier markings (or the security update is absent).
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped10.0.10240.2076610.0.14393.733610.0.17763.6293
Apply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2024-38217 through Windows Update or your patch management system. Verify that Mark of the Web functionality is restored and monitor for any anomalous file handling behavior.
Install the relevant Microsoft security update for CVE-2024-38217 from the Microsoft Security Update Guide (msrc.microsoft.com) - upgrade to or beyond the fixed build versions listed for your Windows edition
- Open Settings on the Windows machine
- Navigate to Update & Security > Windows Update
- Click 'Check for updates' to download and install available security updates
- After installation, verify the installed Windows build version by running 'winver' command
- Ensure the installed version meets or exceeds the fixed build for your Windows edition: 1507:10.0.10240.20766, 1607:10.0.14393.7336, 1809:10.0.17763.6293, 21h2:10.0.19044.4894, 22h2:10.0.19045.4894, 11-21h2:10.0.22000.3197, 11-22h2:10.0.22621.4169, 11-23h2:10.0.22631.4169
- Restart the system if prompted to complete the update installation
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-38217 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-38217 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data