CVE-2018-8589
KEVMicrosoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
Description
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.
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.
CVSS 3.1 vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HPublishedNov 14, 2018
Last modifiedJun 17, 2026
Added to KEVMay 23, 2022
Remediation dueJun 13, 2022
References
- securityfocus.com/bid/105796Broken LinkThird Party Advisory
- securitytracker.com/id/1042140Broken LinkThird Party Advisory
- portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2018-8589PatchVendor Advisory
- cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2018-8589US Government Resource
0 recent articles mention this CVE
69
Risk assessment · High
Actively exploited. Patch immediately.
- Exploitation
- Confirmed in the wild (CISA KEV)
- Federal remediation deadline
- Overdue by 1597 days
- CVSS
- 7.8 HIGH
- EPSS (30-day exploit probability)
- 3.0% · top 13% of all CVEs
- Weakness
- NVD-CWE-noinfo
Recommended actions
- 1.Apply updates per vendor instructions.
- 2.Treat as emergency change: patch or isolate internet-facing instances first.
- 3.Hunt for compromise: review logs for the disclosure window, not just from the patch date.
Assessment is derived automatically from the live signals above; verify against your own asset inventory.