CVE-2018-8120 — Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

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

01What is this vulnerability?

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.

02Affected products

Vendor	Product	Versions
Microsoft	Windows Server 2008	32-bit Systems Service Pack 2, 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation), Itanium-Based Systems Service Pack 2, x64-based Systems Service Pack 2, x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)
Microsoft	Windows 7	32-bit Systems Service Pack 1, x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
Microsoft	Windows Server 2008 R2	Itanium-Based Systems Service Pack 1, x64-based Systems Service Pack 1, x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation)

03Active exploitation status

Yes — actively exploited. Added to the CISA KEV catalog on 2022-03-15. Ransomware use: Known.

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:

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07Related CVEs

08Timeline

• Published: 2018-05-09T19:00:00.000Z
• Last modified: 2025-10-21T23:45:51.354Z
• Added to CISA KEV: 2022-03-15
• BOD 22-01 due: 2022-04-05

09References

• www.exploit-db.com — https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45653/
• www.securitytracker.com — http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1040849
• www.securityfocus.com — http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/104034
• portal.msrc.microsoft.com — https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2018-8120