{"id":"CVE-2015-2546","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2015-2546"],"related":[],"title":"Microsoft Win32k: Microsoft Win32k Memory Corruption Vulnerability","description":"The kernel-mode driver in Microsoft Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT Gold and 8.1, and Windows 10 allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka \"Win32k Memory Corruption Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability,\" a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-2511, CVE-2015-2517, and CVE-2015-2518.","summary":"A memory corruption flaw in the Win32k kernel-mode driver of Windows and Windows Server lets a local user run a crafted application to gain higher privileges. CISA lists it as known exploited, and the tags say it has been used in ransomware campaigns.","severity":"high","cvss":8.2,"epss":0.10107,"exploited":true,"exploited_at":"2022-03-15T00:00:00+00:00","products":[{"name":"Microsoft Win32k","fixed":[],"affected":"","ecosystem":"vendor"}],"ecosystems":["vendor"],"tags":["exploited","infrastructure","ransomware","windows","windows-server"],"not_affected_if":["patched-hosts"],"how_to_check":"Run winver or systeminfo on each Windows host and compare the build against Microsoft's security bulletin MS15-051 for this CVE.","fix":"Apply the Microsoft update for MS15-051 per vendor instructions, as CISA requires.","status":"open","published_at":"2015-09-09T00:59:53+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:52+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-10-23T21:22:11+00:00","updated_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","category":"infrastructure","confidence":0.7,"triage":{"at":"2026-10-23T21:22:11Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","output":{"fix":"Apply the Microsoft update for MS15-051 per vendor instructions, as CISA requires.\nunknown","reach":"local","impact":"high","summary":"A memory corruption flaw in the Win32k kernel-mode driver of Windows and Windows Server lets a local user run a crafted application to gain higher privileges. CISA lists it as known exploited, and the tags say it has been used in ransomware campaigns.","category":"infrastructure","who_cares":["windows","windows-server"],"confidence":0.7,"needs_auth":"yes","worst_case":"Local user gains kernel-level privileges, enabling full system takeover.","analyst_note":"Confirm the exact patched Windows builds and MS15-051 KB numbers from Microsoft's bulletin; the sources given do not list them.","how_to_check":"Run winver or systeminfo on each Windows host and compare the build against Microsoft's security bulletin MS15-051 for this CVE.\nunknown\nunknown","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":["patched-hosts"],"user_interaction":"no","needs_special_setup":"no","severity_if_unknown":"high"},"cost_usd":0.000482,"input_tokens":2825,"output_tokens":398,"severity_before":"unknown"},"analyst_status":null,"analyst_note":null,"search":"'-2015':9A,12A,129C,132C,136C '-2511':130C '-2517':133C '-2518':137C '-2546':10A,13A '10':105C '2008':80C '2012':94C '7':86C '8':89C '8.1':91C,102C 'aka':116C 'allow':106C 'applic':46B,115C 'campaign':67B 'cisa':51B 'corrupt':6A,25B,119C 'craft':45B,114C 'cve':8A,11A,128C,131C,135C 'differ':125C 'driver':33B,72C 'elev':120C 'exploit':16B,56B 'flaw':26B 'gain':48B,110C 'gold':95C,100C 'higher':49B 'infrastructur':17B 'kernel':31B,70C 'kernel-mod':30B,69C 'known':55B 'let':39B 'list':52B 'local':41B,107C 'memori':5A,24B,118C 'microsoft':1A,3A,14A,74C 'mode':32B,71C 'privileg':50B,111C,122C 'r2':83C,97C 'ransomwar':18B,66B 'rt':99C 'run':43B 'say':60B 'server':22B,38B,79C,93C 'sp1':84C,87C 'sp2':77C,81C 'tag':59B 'use':64B 'user':42B,108C 'via':112C 'vista':76C 'vulner':7A,123C,126C 'win32k':2A,4A,15A,29B,117C 'window':19B,21B,35B,37B,75C,78C,85C,88C,90C,92C,98C,104C 'windows-serv':20B","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":null,"tier":null,"verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"first_public_at":"2015-09-09T00:59:53+00:00","kev":{"dateAdded":"2022-03-15","dueDate":"2022-04-05","requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","knownRansomwareCampaignUse":"Known"},"cvss_vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H","cvss_by":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0","poc_count":0,"sources":[{"source":"kev","external_id":"CVE-2015-2546","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2015-2546","severity":null,"published_at":"2022-03-15T00:00:00+00:00","modified_at":null,"first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:52+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-25T11:39:17+00:00","note":null},{"source":"epss","external_id":"CVE-2015-2546","url":"https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2015-2546","severity":null,"published_at":null,"modified_at":null,"first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:13:44+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-23T19:13:44+00:00","note":null},{"source":"nvd","external_id":"CVE-2015-2546","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-2546","severity":null,"published_at":"2015-09-09T00:59:53+00:00","modified_at":"2026-08-14T05:16:52+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","note":null}],"documents":[],"notice":"Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai"}