CVE-2017-0263 — Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

The kernel-mode drivers in Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, 1607, 1703, and Windows Server 2016 allow local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka &qu

01What is this vulnerability?

The kernel-mode drivers in Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, 1607, 1703, and Windows Server 2016 allow local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka "Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability."

02Affected products

Vendor	Product	Versions
Microsoft Corporation	Microsoft Windows	Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, 1607, 1703, and Windows Server 2016

03Active exploitation status

Yes — actively exploited. Added to the CISA KEV catalog on 2022-02-10. Ransomware use: Unknown.

04Recommended remediation

• Patch to a fixed version listed in the vendor advisory (see references below).
• Mitigate with WAF rules, network egress filters, or feature flags where the patch is not yet available.
• Hunt historical logs for exploitation indicators — see Detection signatures below.

05Technical details

For the full vendor write-up, exploit chains, and reference implementations, see the references list in section 09.

06Detection signatures

Open the Sigma generator with a pre-filled prompt for this CVE to draft a starting detection in your stack of choice:

Open in Sigma generator →

07Related CVEs

No directly-cited follow-up CVEs in the KB record for this advisory. The references list in section 09 carries the vendor cross-references.

08Timeline

• Published: 2017-05-12T14:00:00.000Z
• Last modified: 2025-10-21T23:55:40.588Z
• Added to CISA KEV: 2022-02-10
• BOD 22-01 due: 2022-08-10

09References

• portal.msrc.microsoft.com — https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2017-0263
• www.securitytracker.com — http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1038449
• www.securityfocus.com — http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/98258
• xiaodaozhi.com — https://xiaodaozhi.com/exploit/117.html
• www.exploit-db.com — https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44478/