CVE-2019-0859KEV · OVERDUE

Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

High · published April 9, 2019

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 90.8th percentile for exploit probability.

1634
days past CISA
deadline
CVSS v3.1
7.8
EPSS
4%
Percentile
90.8
In the wild
Confirmed
What it is

⚡ An overlooked memory management issue in Windows could let attackers dance right into privileged areas of your system! 🔥 Think of it like a restaurant where the kitchen staff can wander into the dining area without any checks, serving themselves from the dessert tray whenever they want — definitely a recipe for disaster! This vulnerability could allow an attacker to gain elevated privileges, meaning they could potentially execute arbitrary code, access sensitive information, or even manipulate critical system functions. The implications are absolutely devastating, as unauthorized users could effectively have full control over the system. 😱

Put simply

Think of it like a restaurant where the kitchen staff can wander into the dining area without any checks, serving themselves from the dessert tray whenever they want — definitely a recipe for disaster! The Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability occurs when the Win32k component of Windows mishandles objects in memory, leading to the potential for attackers to gain higher access than intended.

What to do

This vulnerability could allow an attacker to gain elevated privileges, meaning they could potentially execute arbitrary code, access sensitive information, or even manipulate critical system functions. The implications are absolutely devastating, as unauthorized users could effectively have full control over the system. 😱 To protect your system, immediately apply the latest security updates from Microsoft that address this vulnerability. Ensure that your systems are always running the most recent versions to prevent exploitation. Regularly audit permissions to minimize potential attack vectors. 🛡️ You've got this! Stay vigilant and keep your systems secure! 🚀

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
7.8 · HIGH
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.04151 · 90.8th percentile
Published
2019-04-09T20:19Z
KEV added
2021-11-03 · due 2022-05-03
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 03 NOV 00:00Z
    Added to CISA KEV — remediate by May 3
    kev
  • 09 APR 20:19Z
    An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory, aka 'Win32k Elevation of…
    cvelistv5