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Vulnerabilities

Vulnerability · CVE-2020-1054

Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Published May 21, 2020 · catalog updated Oct 8, 2026 · Microsoft Win32k

Patch now

CVE-2020-1054 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due May 3, 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
54.16%
Remediation
Remediation guidance
Affected products
cpe microsoft/windows 10 1507 · cpe microsoft/windows 10 1607 · cpe microsoft/windows 10 1709 · cpe microsoft/windows 10 1803 · vendor Microsoft Win32k

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows when the Windows kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability and take control of an affected system. The update addresses this vulnerability by correcting how the Windows kernel-mode driver handles objects in memory.

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 1709version unspecified
  • cpe microsoft/windows 10 1803version unspecified
  • vendor Microsoft Win32kversion unspecified

How to fix CVE-2020-1054

What to do

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

Should you patch?

CVE-2020-1054 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due May 3, 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-787: Out-of-bounds Write. EPSS 54.16%. 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 21, 2020 · Catalog

    Detected

    An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows when the Windows kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker wou

  2. Nov 3, 2021 · CISA KEV

    Known exploited

    Apply updates per vendor instructions.

  3. May 3, 2022 · CISA KEV

    Remediation due

    Apply updates per vendor instructions.

  4. Oct 8, 2026 · Catalog

    Updated

    An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows when the Windows kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker wou

Sources

  • CISA KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2020-1054

    Microsoft Win32k contains a privilege escalation vulnerability when the Windows kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory. Successful exploitation allows an attacker to execute code in kernel mode.

    cisa.gov
  • CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2020-1054

    Official CVE identifier

    cve.org
  • FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2020-1054

    30-day exploitation probability 54.2%

    first.org
  • Metasploit ModulesPublic exploit moduleexploit_windows/local/cve_2020_1054_drawiconex_lpe

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

    rapid7.com
  • NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2020-1054

    An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows when the Windows kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode. An attacker could then install programs; vi

    nvd.nist.gov
  • Packet Storm SecurityCited referencehttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/160515/Microsoft-Windows-DrawIconEx-Local-Privilege-Escalation.html

    Packet Storm link already published on the finding.

    packetstormsecurity.com
  • VulnCheck KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2020-1054

    Microsoft Win32k contains a privilege escalation vulnerability when the Windows kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory. Successful exploitation allows an attacker to execute code in kernel mode.

    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.