# CVE-2024-38177: Windows App Installer Spoofing Vulnerability

> Attackers can spoof the Windows App Installer, potentially bypassing security checks or misleading users about the application source.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 13 Aug 2024
- **Updated:** 10 Jul 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-877h-phh3-7f4r

## What is CVE-2024-38177?

CVE-2024-38177 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft App Installer, published on 13 Aug 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Windows App Installer Spoofing Vulnerability

Weakness: CWE-116 (Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-38177?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Microsoft App Installer.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-38177?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-38177 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-38177 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-38177 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft App Installer

- [CVE-2021-43890](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-43890/): Microsoft Windows AppX Installer Spoofing (high 7.1, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-68821](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-68821/): Windows Package Manager Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (high 7.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-38177 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-38177 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft App Installer, published on 13 Aug 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-38177 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Microsoft App Installer. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38177/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38177/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-38177
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-38177
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-38177

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38177/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.