CVE-2018-8120

Status: AnalyzedHigh (7)⚠ Active exploitation💥 Exploit

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.

CVSS

Version: 3.1
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Base score: 7

Exploitation probability (EPSS)

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 73%
Percentile among all scored CVEs: 99
Score date: 10/9/2026

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST) estimates how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited in the wild within 30 days. It complements CVSS (impact) and CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).

CISA KEV — actively exploited

Added to catalog: 3/15/2022
Remediation due date: 4/5/2022
Known ransomware use: Known

💥 Public exploits

Exploit code or detection templates are publicly available. This is not the same as confirmed active exploitation (KEV), but it raises the risk: patch with priority.

Metasploit module (reliable, widely available exploit) · Windows SetImeInfoEx Win32k NULL Pointer Dereference
Published on Exploit-DB · Microsoft Windows - SetImeInfoEx Win32k NULL Pointer Dereference (Metasploit) (10/22/2018)
Proof of concept on GitHub (unverified) · List of proofs of concept on GitHub

⚠️ GitHub proofs of concept are not verified: some are fake or contain malware. Never run them outside an isolated lab.

🎯 ATT&CK techniques

How this vulnerability is exploited and what the attacker gains, in MITRE ATT&CK terms.

ExploitationT1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalationprivilege escalation95 %
Secondary impactT1486 Data Encrypted for Impactimpact75 %
Secondary impactT1548.002 Bypass User Account Controlprivilege escalation80 %

Vulnerabilidad local en Win32k sin privilegios de administrador (PR:L) permite escalada de privilegios. Explotada activamente por ransomware, permitiendo ejecución de código con permisos elevados.

Inferred by our analysis agent from the official description, CVSS vector and CWE, and checked by a supervisor. May contain errors.

🛡️ ATT&CK mitigations that cover these techniques

Update Software Threat Intelligence Program Privileged Account Management Execution Prevention Behavior Prevention on Endpoint Audit

Affected technologies (2)

Microsoft — Windows 7 Microsoft — Windows Server 2008

CWEs

CWE-404
CWE-404

References

Raw JSON (NVD)

Show

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