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CVE-2024-38100 is a local elevation-of-privilege vulnerability in Windows File Explorer related to DCOM/COM cross-session activation of Explorer-hosted shell objects. The issue affects the ShellWindows and related ShellBrowserWindows DCOM applications, which run as the Interactive User and are activated by explorer.exe. Under vulnerable conditions, an attacker can bind to the COM object in another logged-in user’s session and invoke exposed methods such as ShellExecute() to launch commands in that target session. Public technical analysis indicates the flaw stems from incorrect access security or permission handling for high-integrity explorer.exe processes, allowing unintended cross-session activation and execution when the target session belongs to a high-integrity interactive user, such as the built-in Administrator with UAC disabled. Microsoft addressed the issue in July 2024.
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No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.
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Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.
3 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
A Windows HelpPane/IHxHelpPaneServer-related vulnerability referenced in detection logic as associated with cross-session execution abuse.
A local privilege escalation vulnerability in Microsoft Windows, specifically related to a leaked wallpaper exploit.
A Windows Local Privilege Escalation (LPE) issue involving cross-session DCOM activation of the ShellWindows/ShellBrowserWindows COM objects hosted by explorer.exe, enabling a low-privileged user to trigger execution (e.g., via ShellExecute) in another user’s session under certain integrity/UAC conditions.
Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.
Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.
Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.
YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.
Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.
Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.