Vulnerability · CVE-2002-0367
Microsoft Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
Published Mar 13, 2002 · catalog updated Jun 16, 2026 · Microsoft Windows
Patch now
CVE-2002-0367 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due Mar 24, 2022. Confirm Microsoft Windows against the vendor advisory and apply that fix. The CVSS score does not change the priority.
- Severity
- High7.8
- Known exploitation
- CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV
- EPSS
- 4.92%
- Remediation
- Remediation guidance
- Affected products
- cpe microsoft/windows 2000 · cpe microsoft/windows nt · vendor Microsoft Windows · vendor n/a n/a
smss.exe debugging subsystem in Windows NT and Windows 2000 does not properly authenticate programs that connect to other programs, which allows local users to gain administrator or SYSTEM privileges by duplicating a handle to a privileged process, as demonstrated by DebPloit.
Are you affected?
Enter the version you run. The result uses only the ranges stored on this record.
The check returns affected, not affected, or incomplete. It does not guess a version that is missing from the record.
- cpe microsoft/windows 2000version unspecified
- cpe microsoft/windows nt4.0
- vendor Microsoft Windowsversion unspecified
- vendor n/a n/aversion unspecified
How to fix CVE-2002-0367
Recommended remediation
Apply updates per vendor instructions. CISA due date Mar 24, 2022.
Official advisories
What to do
Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.
Should you patch?
CVE-2002-0367 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due Mar 24, 2022. Confirm Microsoft Windows against the vendor advisory and apply that fix. The CVSS score does not change the priority.
Which versions are affected?
Compare what you have installed with microsoft/windows nt 4.0. Apply updates per vendor instructions.
What should an analyst verify?
CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management. EPSS 4.92%. The CISA KEV listing is the exploitation evidence. A public exploit reference is linked in Sources. That is not the same as confirmed exploitation. Use the source links for the original advisory.
Technology hubs
Code
The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.
No public source repository is identified for this product.
Timeline
Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.
Jun 24, 2002 · Catalog
Detected
smss.exe debugging subsystem in Windows NT and Windows 2000 does not properly authenticate programs that connect to other programs, which allows local users to gain administrator or SYSTEM privileges by duplicating a handle to a privileged process, as demonstrated by DebPloit.
Mar 3, 2022 · CISA KEV
Known exploited
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Mar 24, 2022 · CISA KEV
Remediation due
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Jun 16, 2026 · Catalog
Updated
smss.exe debugging subsystem in Windows NT and Windows 2000 does not properly authenticate programs that connect to other programs, which allows local users to gain administrator or SYSTEM privileges by duplicating a handle to a privileged process, as demonstrated by DebPloit.
Sources
- CISA KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2002-0367
smss.exe debugging subsystem in Microsoft Windows does not properly authenticate programs that connect to other programs, which allows local users to gain administrator or SYSTEM privileges.
cisa.gov - CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2002-0367
smss.exe debugging subsystem in Windows NT and Windows 2000 does not properly authenticate programs that connect to other programs, which allows local users to gain administrator or SYSTEM privileges by duplicating a handle to a privileged process, as demonstrated by DebPloit.
cve.org - FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2002-0367
30-day exploitation probability 4.9%
first.org - Exploit DatabasePublic exploit reference21344
Public archive entry. The exploit body is not stored here.
exploit-db.com - NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2002-0367
smss.exe debugging subsystem in Windows NT and Windows 2000 does not properly authenticate programs that connect to other programs, which allows local users to gain administrator or SYSTEM privileges by duplicating a handle to a privileged process, as demonstrated by DebPloit.
nvd.nist.gov - VulnCheck KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2002-0367
smss.exe debugging subsystem in Microsoft Windows does not properly authenticate programs that connect to other programs, which allows local users to gain administrator or SYSTEM privileges.
vulncheck.com
References
- Mailing List · marc.info
- Broken Link · iss.net
- Broken Link · securityfocus.com
- Broken Link · securityfocus.com
- 20020327 Local Security Vulnerability in Windows NT and Windows 2000 · securityfocus.com
- 4287 · securityfocus.com
- Patch · docs.microsoft.com
- CISA note · nvd.nist.gov
- oval:org.mitre.oval:def:76 · oval.cisecurity.org
- VulnCheck exploitation evidence · cisa.gov
- VulnCheck exploitation evidence · exploit-db.com
Freshness
Last verified in this catalog Oct 17, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.