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Vulnerabilities

Vulnerability · CVE-2018-8453

Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Published Aug 17, 2018 · catalog updated Aug 12, 2026 · Microsoft Win32k

Patch now

CVE-2018-8453 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due Jul 21, 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
High7.8
Known exploitation
CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV
EPSS
70.04%
Remediation
Remediation guidance
Affected products
cpe microsoft/windows 10 1507 · cpe microsoft/windows 10 1607 · cpe microsoft/windows 10 1703 · cpe microsoft/windows 10 1709 · cpe microsoft/windows 10 1803 · cpe microsoft/windows 10 1809

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.

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 10 1507version unspecified
  • cpe microsoft/windows 10 1607version unspecified
  • cpe microsoft/windows 10 1703version unspecified
  • cpe microsoft/windows 10 1709version unspecified
  • cpe microsoft/windows 10 1803version unspecified
  • cpe microsoft/windows 10 1809version unspecified
  • cpe microsoft/windows 7version unspecified
  • cpe microsoft/windows 8.1version unspecified
  • vendor Microsoft Win32kversion unspecified

How to fix CVE-2018-8453

What to do

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

Should you patch?

CVE-2018-8453 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due Jul 21, 2022. Confirm Microsoft Win32k against the vendor advisory and apply that fix. The CVSS score does not change the priority.

Which versions are affected?

Affected version ranges are not on this record. Apply updates per vendor instructions.

What should an analyst verify?

CWE-404. EPSS 70.04%. 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. Oct 10, 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 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.

  2. Jan 21, 2022 · CISA KEV

    Known exploited

    Apply updates per vendor instructions.

  3. Jul 21, 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 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.

Sources

  • CISA KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2018-8453

    Microsoft Windows Win32k contains a vulnerability that allows an attacker to escalate privileges.

    cisa.gov
  • CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2018-8453

    Official CVE identifier

    cve.org
  • FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2018-8453

    30-day exploitation probability 70.0%

    first.org
  • Exploit DatabasePublic exploit reference47134

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

    exploit-db.com
  • Metasploit ModulesPublic exploit moduleexploit_windows/local/cve_2018_8453_win32k_priv_esc

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

    rapid7.com
  • NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2018-8453

    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 2

    nvd.nist.gov
  • Packet Storm SecurityCited referencehttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/153669/Microsoft-Windows-NtUserSetWindowFNID-Win32k-User-Callback.html

    Packet Storm link already published on the finding.

    packetstormsecurity.com
  • VulnCheck KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2018-8453

    Microsoft Windows Win32k contains a vulnerability that allows an attacker to escalate privileges.

    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.