CVE-2018-8120
Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
Does this matter?
Known to be exploited in the wild (CISA KEV, CISA remediation deadline 5 April 2022). Treat as an emergency change: patch or isolate now, then hunt for prior compromise.
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 Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2018-8124, CVE-2018-8164, CVE-2018-8166.
- CVSS 3.1
- 7.0 HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 73.29% probability · 99th percentile
- Public exploits
- 1 in Exploit-DB · verified · first 22 October 2018
- CISA KEV
- Listed 15 March 2022 · due 5 April 2022 · used in ransomware campaigns
- Weakness
- CWE-404
- Affected
- microsoft/windows 7 · microsoft/windows server 2008
- Source
- secure@microsoft.com
EPSS 73.3% since 27 October 2026; no change recorded yet. The dashed line is the ten per cent mark our analysts treat as “patch before the next change window”. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
CISA notes
Apply updates per vendor instructions. https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-8120
Public exploits (1)
Entries in Exploit-DB that cite this CVE. Links go to the Exploit-DB page and to the file in the public repository; nothing is hosted here. A verified tick means the Exploit-DB team confirmed the exploit works against the stated version.
References
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/104034Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1040849Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2018-8120Patch, Vendor Advisory
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45653/Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/104034Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1040849Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2018-8120Patch, Vendor Advisory
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45653/Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2018-8120US Government Resource
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.