{"id":"CVE-2018-8453","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2018-8453"],"related":[],"title":"Microsoft Win32k: Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability","description":"An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory, aka \"Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability.\" This affects Windows 7, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2012, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 10, Windows 10 Servers.","summary":"Microsoft Windows Win32k contains a flaw that lets a local user raise their privileges. An attacker who already has a foothold on a Windows machine can gain higher, system-level access.","severity":"high","cvss":7.8,"epss":0.70042,"exploited":true,"exploited_at":"2022-01-21T00:00:00+00:00","products":[{"name":"Microsoft Win32k","fixed":[],"affected":"","ecosystem":"vendor"}],"ecosystems":["vendor"],"tags":["exploited","infrastructure","microsoft","ransomware","windows"],"not_affected_if":["patched-windows"],"how_to_check":null,"fix":"Apply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2018-8453 per vendor instructions, as CISA directs.","status":"open","published_at":"2018-10-10T13:29:02+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:53+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-10-23T21:29:03+00:00","updated_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","category":"infrastructure","confidence":0.6,"triage":{"at":"2026-10-23T21:29:03Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","output":{"fix":"Apply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2018-8453 per vendor instructions, as CISA directs.","reach":"local","impact":"high","summary":"Microsoft Windows Win32k contains a flaw that lets a local user raise their privileges. An attacker who already has a foothold on a Windows machine can gain higher, system-level access.","category":"infrastructure","who_cares":["windows","microsoft"],"confidence":0.6,"needs_auth":"yes","worst_case":"local attacker gains system-level control of the Windows machine","analyst_note":"Confirm affected Windows builds and KB patch number from the Microsoft Security Response Center advisory for CVE-2018-8453; sources lack version details.","how_to_check":"unknown","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":["patched-windows"],"user_interaction":"unknown","needs_special_setup":"unknown","severity_if_unknown":"high"},"cost_usd":0.000444,"input_tokens":2821,"output_tokens":323,"severity_before":"unknown"},"analyst_status":null,"analyst_note":null,"search":"'-2018':9A,12A '-8453':10A,13A '10':108C,110C '2008':91C,105C '2012':84C,97C '2016':102C '2019':94C '7':81C '8.1':88C,99C 'access':52B 'affect':79C 'aka':72C 'alreadi':38B 'attack':36B 'compon':64C 'contain':24B 'cve':8A,11A 'elev':54C,74C 'escal':6A 'exist':58C 'exploit':16B 'fail':65C 'flaw':26B 'foothold':41B 'gain':47B 'handl':68C 'higher':48B 'infrastructur':17B 'let':28B 'level':51B 'local':30B 'machin':45B 'memori':71C 'microsoft':1A,3A,14A,18B,21B 'object':69C 'privileg':5A,34B,56C,76C 'proper':67C 'r2':85C,106C 'rais':32B 'ransomwar':19B 'rt':87C 'server':83C,90C,93C,96C,101C,104C,111C 'system':50B 'system-level':49B 'user':31B 'vulner':7A,57C,77C 'win32k':2A,4A,15A,23B,63C,73C 'window':20B,22B,44B,60C,80C,82C,86C,89C,92C,95C,98C,100C,103C,107C,109C","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":null,"tier":null,"verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"first_public_at":"2018-10-10T13:29:02+00:00","kev":{"dateAdded":"2022-01-21","dueDate":"2022-07-21","requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","knownRansomwareCampaignUse":"Known"},"cvss_vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","cvss_by":"nvd@nist.gov","poc_count":0,"sources":[{"source":"kev","external_id":"CVE-2018-8453","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2018-8453","severity":null,"published_at":"2022-01-21T00:00:00+00:00","modified_at":null,"first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:53+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-25T15:39:43+00:00","note":null},{"source":"epss","external_id":"CVE-2018-8453","url":"https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2018-8453","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-2018-8453","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-8453","severity":null,"published_at":"2018-10-10T13:29:02+00:00","modified_at":"2026-08-13T05:17:19+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"}