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Vulnerabilities

Vulnerability · CVE-2018-8120

Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Published May 8, 2018 · catalog updated Aug 12, 2026 · Microsoft Win32k

Patch now

CVE-2018-8120 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due Apr 5, 2022. Confirm Microsoft Win32k against the vendor advisory and apply that fix. The CVSS score does not change the priority.

Gaps on this record

  • No version range is stored. A customer cannot check an installed version against this record.
Severity
High7.0
Known exploitation
CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV
EPSS
73.43%
Remediation
Remediation guidance
Affected products
cpe microsoft/windows 7 · cpe microsoft/windows server 2008 · vendor Microsoft Win32k

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.

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 7version unspecified
  • cpe microsoft/windows server 2008r2
  • vendor Microsoft Win32kversion unspecified

How to fix CVE-2018-8120

What to do

Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.

Should you patch?

CVE-2018-8120 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due Apr 5, 2022. Confirm Microsoft Win32k 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 server 2008 r2. Apply updates per vendor instructions.

What should an analyst verify?

CWE-404. EPSS 73.43%. 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

Windows security

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.

  1. May 9, 2018 · Catalog

    Detected

    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.

  2. Mar 15, 2022 · CISA KEV

    Known exploited

    Apply updates per vendor instructions.

  3. Apr 5, 2022 · CISA KEV

    Remediation due

    Apply updates per vendor instructions.

  4. Aug 12, 2026 · Catalog

    Updated

    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.

Sources

  • CISA KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2018-8120

    A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory.

    cisa.gov
  • CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2018-8120

    Official CVE identifier

    cve.org
  • FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2018-8120

    30-day exploitation probability 73.4%

    first.org
  • Exploit DatabasePublic exploit reference45653

    Public archive entry. The exploit body is not stored here.

    exploit-db.com
  • Metasploit ModulesPublic exploit moduleexploit_windows/local/ms18_8120_win32k_privesc

    Public module reference (good). Module source is not copied into this catalog.

    rapid7.com
  • NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2018-8120

    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-2

    nvd.nist.gov
  • VulnCheck KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2018-8120

    A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory.

    vulncheck.com

References

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.