CVE-2018-8120

Microsoft Win32k: Privilege Escalation

As of , CVE-2018-8120 in Microsoft Win32k is on CISA's list of exploited vulnerabilities: CISA listed it on . Our patch-first group: Patch this week.

Exploited
Yes: CISA listed it on 15 March 2022
US federal deadline
5 April 202221 days after CISA listed it. US federal civilian agencies must fix it by then.
Used in ransomware campaigns
Known
EPSS score
0.73Higher than 99% of the CVEs EPSS scores. EPSS estimates the chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days.
EPSS when listed
0.60 on 15 March 2022EPSS on the day CISA listed it.
Public exploit
1 Metasploit module and 1 Exploit-DB entry (1 verified)
Fix
No vendor link in CISA's entry

What CISA says to do

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

CISA's required action

What the flaw is

A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory.

CISA's description

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory, aka "Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability." This affects Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2018-8124, CVE-2018-8164, CVE-2018-8166.

The CVE record's description, from microsoft

CVE published
9 May 2018
Assigned by
microsoft
CVSS
7.0 High (CVSS 3.1, from CISA-ADP)
CWE-404
Improper Resource Shutdown or Release
CISA SSVC, exploitation
active
CISA SSVC, automatable
no
CISA SSVC, technical impact
total

Timeline

  1. The CVE record was published.
  2. Exploit-DB published an exploit (EDB-ID 45653).
  3. CISA added it to its list of exploited vulnerabilities.
  4. The US federal deadline to fix it.

Public exploits

Facts from Metasploit's module list and Exploit-DB's index; we never copy exploit code.

Win32k: other exploited entries

VulnerabilityProductOur groupListedDeadlineEPSS
CVE-2014-4113Privilege EscalationMicrosoft Win32kPatch this weekMetasploit module; EPSS 0.87; verified Exploit-DB entry0.87
CVE-2015-1701Privilege EscalationMicrosoft Win32kPatch this weekRansomware use; Metasploit module; EPSS 0.56; verified Exploit-DB entry0.56
CVE-2018-8453Privilege EscalationMicrosoft Win32kPatch this weekRansomware use; Metasploit module; EPSS 0.70; verified Exploit-DB entry0.70
CVE-2013-3660Privilege EscalationMicrosoft Win32kPatch this weekMetasploit module; verified Exploit-DB entry0.39
CVE-2022-21882Privilege EscalationMicrosoft Win32kPatch this weekRansomware use; Metasploit module; EPSS 0.590.59
CVE-2019-1458Privilege EscalationMicrosoft Win32kPatch this weekRansomware use; Metasploit module; EPSS 0.740.74
CVE-2021-1732Privilege EscalationMicrosoft Win32kPatch this weekRansomware use; Metasploit module; EPSS 0.780.78
CVE-2019-0808Privilege EscalationMicrosoft Win32kPatch this weekMetasploit module; EPSS 0.530.53
CVE-2020-1054Privilege EscalationMicrosoft Win32kPatch this weekMetasploit module; EPSS 0.540.54
CVE-2016-7255Privilege EscalationMicrosoft Win32kPatch this weekRansomware use; EPSS 0.810.81

All 25 entries for Win32k

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