{"id":"CVE-2018-8440","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2018-8440"],"related":[],"title":"Microsoft Windows: Microsoft Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability","description":"An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles calls to Advanced Local Procedure Call (ALPC), aka \"Windows ALPC Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability.\" This affects Windows 7, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2012, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 10, Windows 10 Servers.","summary":"An elevation of privilege flaw in Windows lets a local user gain higher privileges because Windows mishandles calls to Advanced Local Procedure Call (ALPC). CISA lists it as exploited in the wild and it is tagged for ransomware use.","severity":"high","cvss":7.8,"epss":0.1853,"exploited":true,"exploited_at":"2022-03-28T00:00:00+00:00","products":[{"name":"Microsoft Windows","fixed":[],"affected":"","ecosystem":"vendor"}],"ecosystems":["vendor"],"tags":["exploited","infrastructure","ransomware","self-hosted","windows"],"not_affected_if":["patched-windows"],"how_to_check":"Check installed Windows updates for the patch that addresses CVE-2018-8440 (Get-HotFix or Settings > Windows Update > Update history).","fix":"Apply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2018-8440 per vendor instructions, as CISA requires.","status":"open","published_at":"2018-09-13T00:29:04+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:52+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-10-23T21:19:53+00:00","updated_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","category":"infrastructure","confidence":0.7,"triage":{"at":"2026-10-23T21:19:53Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","output":{"fix":"Apply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2018-8440 per vendor instructions, as CISA requires.\nunknown","reach":"local","impact":"high","summary":"An elevation of privilege flaw in Windows lets a local user gain higher privileges because Windows mishandles calls to Advanced Local Procedure Call (ALPC). CISA lists it as exploited in the wild and it is tagged for ransomware use.","category":"infrastructure","who_cares":["windows","self-hosted"],"confidence":0.7,"needs_auth":"yes","worst_case":"Local attacker gains SYSTEM privileges on the Windows machine.","analyst_note":"Sources do not give the affected Windows versions or KB number; check the Microsoft Security Update Guide entry for CVE-2018-8440 and the CISA KEV page.","how_to_check":"Check installed Windows updates for the patch that addresses CVE-2018-8440 (Get-HotFix or Settings > Windows Update > Update history).\nunknown","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":["patched-windows"],"user_interaction":"no","needs_special_setup":"no","severity_if_unknown":"high"},"cost_usd":0.000489,"input_tokens":2828,"output_tokens":412,"severity_before":"unknown"},"analyst_status":null,"analyst_note":null,"search":"'-2018':9A,12A '-8440':10A,13A '10':113C,115C '2008':99C,110C '2012':92C,102C '2016':107C '7':89C '8.1':96C,104C 'advanc':42B,74C 'affect':87C 'aka':79C 'alpc':46B,78C,81C 'call':40B,45B,72C,77C 'cisa':47B 'cve':8A,11A 'elev':24B,63C,82C 'escal':6A 'exist':67C 'exploit':16B,51B 'flaw':27B 'gain':34B 'handl':71C 'higher':35B 'host':21B 'improp':70C 'infrastructur':17B 'let':30B 'list':48B 'local':32B,43B,75C 'microsoft':1A,3A,14A 'mishandl':39B 'privileg':5A,26B,36B,65C,84C 'procedur':44B,76C 'r2':93C,111C 'ransomwar':18B,60B 'rt':95C 'self':20B 'self-host':19B 'server':91C,98C,101C,106C,109C,116C 'tag':58B 'use':61B 'user':33B 'vulner':7A,66C,85C 'wild':54B 'window':2A,4A,22B,29B,38B,69C,80C,88C,90C,94C,97C,100C,103C,105C,108C,112C,114C 'windows':15A","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":null,"tier":null,"verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"first_public_at":"2018-09-13T00:29:04+00:00","kev":{"dateAdded":"2022-03-28","dueDate":"2022-04-18","requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","knownRansomwareCampaignUse":"Known"},"cvss_vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","cvss_by":"nvd@nist.gov","poc_count":0,"sources":[{"source":"kev","external_id":"CVE-2018-8440","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2018-8440","severity":null,"published_at":"2022-03-28T00:00:00+00:00","modified_at":null,"first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:52+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-25T17:39:57+00:00","note":null},{"source":"epss","external_id":"CVE-2018-8440","url":"https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2018-8440","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-2018-8440","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-8440","severity":null,"published_at":"2018-09-13T00:29:04+00:00","modified_at":"2026-06-17T02:04:52+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"}