CVE-2018-8453

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to...

7.8 HighIn KEVPublic 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 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.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector: Local
Complexity: Low
Privileges needed: None
User interaction: Required

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: High

Exploit likelihood

70.0%Down 12.7 points since Apr 14, 2021

What each source reports

NVD Score used 7.8

Record: CVE-2018-8453
CVSS 3.1: 7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS 2.0: 7.2 HighAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Updated: 2026-11-02

CVE List 7.8

Record: CVE-2018-8453
CVSS 3.1: 7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated: 2026-11-02

EUVDEUVD-2018-20088 7.8

Record: EUVD-2018-20088
CVSS 3.1: 7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated: 2026-11-02

GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-8587-44mr-xf6j 7.8

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to...

Record: GHSA-8587-44mr-xf6j
CVSS 3.0: 7.8 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness: CWE-404
Updated: 2026-11-02

CISA KEV No score

Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

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

Record: CVE-2018-8453
Weakness: CWE-404
Updated: 2026-11-02

Affected products

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Public exploits

Links only. Every CVE stores no exploit code.

Public exploits
Source	Link	Date
Metasploit	Windows NtUserSetWindowFNID Win32k User Callback	2018-10-09
PoC in GitHub	Mkv4/cve-2018-8453-exp	2019-01-18
PoC in GitHub	ze0r/cve-2018-8453-exp	2019-01-18
PoC in GitHub	thepwnrip/leHACK-Analysis-of-CVE-2018-8453	2019-07-08
Exploit-DB	Microsoft Windows - NtUserSetWindowFNID Win32k User Callback Privilege Escalation (Metasploit)	2019-07-17

History

History
Recorded	Changed	Sources
Nov 3, 2026	exploitation, exploits
Nov 2, 2026	first indexed	CVE List, EUVD, Exploit-DB, GitHub Advisories, CISA KEV, Metasploit, NVD, PoC in GitHub

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2018-8453 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.8) in Microsoft Win32k, published October 10, 2018. CISA lists it as known to be exploited, since January 21, 2022. EUVD reports exploitation since January 21, 2022. Public exploit code exists. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 70.0%, the 99th percentile. No source names a fixed version.