CVEs / CVE-2018-8589
CVE-2018-8589: Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
- Known exploited in the CISA KEV catalog since 23 May 2022
- high 7.8 CVSS 3.1 (NVD)
- EPSS 3.02% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 87% of CVEs (30 Oct 2026)
- Last changed at its sources
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Summary
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles calls to Win32k.sys. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run remote code in the security context of the local system.
Description
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles calls to Win32k.sys, aka "Windows Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability." This affects Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2.
Affected and fixed versions
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Windows Server 2008 | 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 | — |
| Microsoft Windows Server 2008 | 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation) | — |
| Microsoft Windows Server 2008 | Itanium-Based Systems Service Pack 2 | — |
| Microsoft Windows Server 2008 | x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 | — |
| Microsoft Windows Server 2008 | x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation) | — |
| Microsoft Windows 7 | 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1 | — |
| Microsoft Windows 7 | x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 | — |
| Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 | Itanium-Based Systems Service Pack 1 | — |
| Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 | x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 | — |
| Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 | x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation) | — |
Exploitation
| In CISA KEV since | 23 May 2022 |
|---|---|
| Due date for US federal agencies | 13 Jun 2022 |
| Used in ransomware campaigns | Unknown |
| Required action | Apply updates per vendor instructions. |
Severity
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 highCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HScored by NVD |
|---|
References
- CVE-2018-8589 on NVD
- CVE-2018-8589 in the CISA KEV catalog
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105796 Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1042140 Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2018-8589 Patch, Vendor Advisory
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2018-8589 US Government Resource
Sources
Exploitation status from the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. EPSS scores from FIRST. Descriptions, severity and references from the National Vulnerability Database. Open-source package versions from OSV (CC-BY 4.0). Text is shown as each source states it; Stackurity does not edit it. Check the vendor's advisory before acting.
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.