CVE-2019-1458KEV · OVERDUE

Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

High · published December 11, 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 99.5th percentile for exploit probability.

1566
days past CISA
deadline
CVSS v3.1
7.8
EPSS
74%
Percentile
99.5
In the wild
Confirmed
What it is

🚨 A sneaky flaw in Windows is letting attackers elevate their privileges without breaking a sweat! ⚡ Think of this as a guest getting access to the VIP lounge at a concert simply by slipping past an inattentive bouncer — once in, they can do just about anything! If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker to take complete control of affected systems, running malicious code with elevated privileges. This means they could potentially access sensitive information or alter system settings, causing absolute chaos!

Put simply

Think of this as a guest getting access to the VIP lounge at a concert simply by slipping past an inattentive bouncer — once in, they can do just about anything! This elevation of privilege vulnerability arises when the Win32k component mishandles memory objects, allowing attackers to manipulate memory in ways that elevate their permissions.

What to do

If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker to take complete control of affected systems, running malicious code with elevated privileges. This means they could potentially access sensitive information or alter system settings, causing absolute chaos! To protect yourself, ensure that you install the latest security updates for Windows as soon as possible. Regularly check for patches and maintain system updates to mitigate vulnerabilities. Don't let those attackers in! You've got this! With these updates, you'll be one step closer to securing your system and maintaining your hero status! 🛡️

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
0.74438 · 99.5th percentile
Published
2019-12-11T03:15Z
KEV added
2022-01-10 · due 2022-07-10
Affected products (13)
ProductVersionsFixed in
microsoft/windows_10_1507all versions—
microsoft/windows_10_1507all versions—
microsoft/windows_10_1607all versions—
microsoft/windows_10_1607all versions—
microsoft/windows_7all versions—
microsoft/windows_8.1all versions—
microsoft/windows_rt_8.1all versions—
microsoft/windows_server_2008all 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—
References (7)
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 10 JAN 00:00Z
    Added to CISA KEV — remediate by Jul 10
    kev
  • 10 DEC 21:40Z
    An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory, aka 'Win32k Elevation of…
    cvelistv5