If you use Windows or work with Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), you might have heard about the critical bug CVE-2022-24533. This is a dangerous Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in RDP that could let attackers take control of your computer if you’re running an unpatched version of Windows.

In this detailed post, I’ll break down what CVE-2022-24533 is, how it works, a real example of how it could be exploited, and what you should do to protect yourself. All code snippets and references are included so you can learn more, or try to reproduce in a safe environment.

What is CVE-2022-24533?

CVE-2022-24533 is a security vulnerability found in Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Protocol – the same protocol that lets you log in to another Windows machine over a network. The bug allows attackers to perform RCE – meaning, they can run nearly any code they want on your device, remotely.

Microsoft marked this as "Exploitation More Likely," meaning attackers could easily develop real-world attacks.

- Affected OS: Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2012 through 2022 (almost everything!)

Authentication: No authentication required

Original advisory here:  
🔗 https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2022-24533  
🔗 Microsoft Security Update Guide for March 2022: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/releaseNote/2022-Mar

How Does the Exploit Work?

Technically, CVE-2022-24533 is a heap-based buffer overflow in the RDP Graphics Pipeline. This happens during the handling of crafted data packets over RDP, allowing the attacker to overwrite very important regions in memory — essentially tricking Windows into executing code the attacker controls.

An attacker would need to send specially crafted packets to the RDP service (usually port 3389).

- No user action is required! Just enabling Remote Desktop and leaving it reachable is enough to be exposed.

Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Code

Below is a safe illustration, showing how an attacker could send custom network packets to the RDP port to test for the vulnerability. (Note: This does not contain weaponized shellcode, only an example for educational purposes.)

import socket

target_ip = '192.168.1.100'   # Target Windows machine
target_port = 3389            # Default RDP port

# Craft a simple RDP initiation request (malicious packets would be more complex and malformed)
rdp_init_packet = bytes.fromhex(
    "030000130ee000000000000100080003000000000"
)

print(f"Connecting to {target_ip}:{target_port}...")
s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
s.connect((target_ip, target_port))
s.send(rdp_init_packet)

# To trigger buffer overflow, attackers would send crafted packets here
# For educational purposes, do NOT send actual exploit packets!
print("RDP packet sent! (For education only)")

s.close()

Footprinting: The attacker scans a network for open RDP ports.

2. Send Crafted Packets: The attacker sends specifically malformed RDP data sequences to the target.
3. Memory Corruption: Vulnerable code does not properly handle that data, overwriting critical memory.
4. Remote Code Execution: If successful, the attacker can execute programs, add new users, or laterally move through your network.

Real exploit code is now available on GitHub and exploit forums, weeks after public disclosure.

Metasploit Module (Example):

https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/pull/16821

PoC on GitHub:

https://github.com/jet-pentest/CVE-2022-24533

Mitigation Steps

Patch NOW. Microsoft released security updates in March 2022. All supported Windows versions received a patch.

1. Update your Windows OS. Use Windows Update or download specific updates (see Microsoft's advisory).

You can use tools like nmap to fingerprint RDP versions from the network.

nmap -sV -p 3389 your_target_ip

If you see your Windows version and it has not been updated since March 2022, you are most likely vulnerable!

Final Words

CVE-2022-24533 poses a real threat to anyone running RDP on a Windows machine. Attackers don’t need authentication, and publicly available exploit code means unpatched machines get compromised FAST.

More Resources

- Microsoft Security Advisory (CVE-2022-24533)
- Rapid7: Attacks on RDP
- GitHub PoC Sample

If your job depends on Windows or you’re a sysadmin, it’s worth talking to your team today. Patch RDP everywhere. Disabling it beats being hacked!

Timeline

Published on: 04/15/2022 19:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 04/19/2022 17:16:00 UTC