CVE-2018-8453KEV · OVERDUE

Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

High · published October 10, 2018

Patch now

Confirmed exploited, and the score agrees

CVSS calls it high at 7.8. It is confirmed in active exploitation. It sits in the 99.4th percentile for exploit probability.

1555
days past CISA
deadline
CVSS v3.1
7.8
EPSS
70%
Percentile
99.4
In the wild
Confirmed
What it is

🚨 A sneaky memory mishap in Windows lets attackers escalate their privileges without breaking a sweat! ⚡ Think of it like a chef in a restaurant who, through a loophole, gets access to the VIP kitchen where only top chefs are allowed. The Win32k vulnerability is that unguarded door, granting unauthorized chefs the ability to whip up whatever they want! An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to elevate their privileges, allowing them to execute arbitrary code with higher permissions. This could lead to full system control, potentially compromising sensitive information or altering critical system functions. In the wrong hands, this could be absolutely devastating!

Put simply

Think of it like a chef in a restaurant who, through a loophole, gets access to the VIP kitchen where only top chefs are allowed. The Win32k vulnerability is that unguarded door, granting unauthorized chefs the ability to whip up whatever they want! This elevation of privilege vulnerability arises because the Win32k component doesn't effectively manage certain objects in memory, which allows an attacker to execute malicious code with elevated rights.

What to do

An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to elevate their privileges, allowing them to execute arbitrary code with higher permissions. This could lead to full system control, potentially compromising sensitive information or altering critical system functions. In the wrong hands, this could be absolutely devastating! To protect your systems, ensure all affected Windows versions are updated to the latest patches. Specifically, apply the security updates provided by Microsoft to mitigate this vulnerability immediately! Regularly review your system update policies to avoid missing important patches. You've got this! Secure your systems now and keep those unwanted guests out of your kitchen! 🛡️

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
7.8 · HIGH
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.70042 · 99.4th percentile
Published
2018-10-10T17:29Z
KEV added
2022-01-21 · due 2022-07-21
Affected products (17)
ProductVersionsFixed in
microsoft/windows_10_1507all versions—
microsoft/windows_10_1607all versions—
microsoft/windows_10_1703all versions—
microsoft/windows_10_1709all versions—
microsoft/windows_10_1803all versions—
microsoft/windows_10_1809all versions—
microsoft/windows_7all versions—
microsoft/windows_8.1all versions—
microsoft/windows_rt_8.1all versions—
microsoft/windows_server_1709all versions—
microsoft/windows_server_1803all versions—
microsoft/windows_server_2008all versions—
microsoft/windows_server_2008all versions—
microsoft/windows_server_2012all versions—
microsoft/windows_server_2012all versions—
microsoft/windows_server_2016all versions—
microsoft/windows_server_2019all versions—
References (11)
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 21 JAN 00:00Z
    Added to CISA KEV — remediate by Jul 21
    kev
  • 10 OCT 13:00Z
    An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory, aka "Win32k Elevation of…
    cvelistv5