HIGH · CVSS 7.8 CISA Known Exploited Vulnerability Used in ransomware attacks

CVE-2024-26169

Microsoft Windows Error Reporting Service Improper Privilege Management Vulnerability

Microsoft Windows

Windows Error Reporting Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

CVSS
7.8
HIGH
EPSS
4%
30-day exploitation
Ransomware groups
1
recorded exploiting
Published
12 Mar 2024
CWE-269

Ransomware groups exploiting CVE-2024-26169

Blackbasta 193 victims tracked

"Black Basta" is a new ransomware strain discovered during April 2022 - looks in dev since at least early February 2022 - and due to their ability to quickly amass new victims and the style of their negotiations, this is likely not a new operation but rather a

Exploitation is attributed to these groups across their recorded activity. It does not follow that every organisation they listed was reached through CVE-2024-26169 — the source data does not record an entry point per incident.

Exploitation status

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

Listed by CISA on 13 June 2024. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 4 July 2024. CISA records this vulnerability as known to be used in ransomware campaigns.

EPSS — exploitation probability

FIRST puts the probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days at 4%, which is higher than 89.6% of all scored vulnerabilities. EPSS is a forecast of activity, not a measure of severity, and it is rescored daily.

CVSS vector

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

Recent listings by these groups

Disclosures from the groups above, newest first.

Frequently asked questions

Is CVE-2024-26169 being exploited by ransomware groups?

Yes. CVE-2024-26169 is recorded as exploited by Blackbasta. Between them these groups account for 193 victim disclosures in this database. CISA also records this vulnerability as used in ransomware campaigns.

What does CVE-2024-26169 affect?

CVE-2024-26169 affects Microsoft Windows. Windows Error Reporting Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

How severe is CVE-2024-26169?

CVE-2024-26169 is rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 7.8. EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 4%, higher than 89.6% of all scored vulnerabilities. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with a federal remediation deadline of 4 July 2024.

How should organisations respond to CVE-2024-26169?

Apply the vendor patch for Microsoft Windows as the first priority, and treat any internet-facing instance as the most urgent. Because this vulnerability is associated with ransomware activity, also review whether the affected systems were reachable before patching, rather than assuming that patching alone closes the incident.