CVE-2019-1215

KEVRansomware UseMicrosoft Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Description

Microsoft Windows contains an unspecified vulnerability due to the way ws2ifsl.sys (Winsock) handles objects in memory, allowing for privilege escalation. Successful exploitation allows an attacker to execute code with elevated privileges.

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way that ws2ifsl.sys (Winsock) handles objects in memory, aka 'Windows Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2019-1253, CVE-2019-1278, CVE-2019-1303.

CVSS 3.1 vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

PublishedSep 11, 2019

Last modifiedJun 17, 2026

Added to KEVNov 3, 2021

Remediation dueMay 3, 2022

References

portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2019-1215PatchVendor Advisory
cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2019-1215US Government Resource

0 recent articles mention this CVE

Risk assessment · Critical

Actively exploited and used by ransomware crews. Patch immediately.

Exploitation: Confirmed in the wild (CISA KEV)
Federal remediation deadline: Overdue by 1637 days
Ransomware: Used in known ransomware campaigns
CVSS: 7.8 HIGH
EPSS (30-day exploit probability): 19.3% · top 3% 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.
4.Verify offline/immutable backups and segment the affected systems. This flaw is used for ransomware initial access.

Assessment is derived automatically from the live signals above; verify against your own asset inventory.