CVE-2024-29988

CVE-2024-29988 is a high-severity vulnerability discovered in the Microsoft SmartScreen Prompt Security Feature. This flaw, with a CVSS score of 8.8, enables attackers to bypass Microsoft Defender SmartScreen by opening a specially crafted file. The Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) first identified this vulnerability, and although it wasn't listed as exploited during Microsoft's Patch Tuesday update, it has since been actively utilized by threat actors to deliver malware. The exploitation of CVE-2024-29988 relies heavily on social engineering tactics. This method involves tricking users into opening malicious files that have been specifically designed to exploit this vulnerability, thereby bypassing the SmartScreen security feature. Tenable's Narang noted the significance of this month's fix for the SmartScreen Prompt security feature bypass, emphasizing the need for user awareness in addition to software patches to mitigate such socially engineered attacks. Microsoft addressed CVE-2024-29988 along with another zero-day vulnerability, CVE-2024-26234, a proxy driver spoofing flaw, in their recent updates. These fixes were prioritized due to the active exploitation of these vulnerabilities by cybercriminals. It's crucial for users and organizations to apply these patches promptly to protect their systems from potential breaches and malware attacks.