The newly discovered Windows zero-day vulnerability, CVE-2024-49138, exposes users to significant risks. Affecting the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) Driver, it allows attackers to escalate privileges to SYSTEM level. This critical flaw has a CVSS score of 7.8, signaling high severity. Discovered by CrowdStrike, the vulnerability has already been exploited in the wild. Microsoft’s December 2024 Patch Tuesday update addressed it alongside fixes for 71 other vulnerabilities, marking one of the year’s most critical security updates.