CVE-2018-8453
Confirmed PUBLISHEDAn elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory, aka "Win32k...
Recommended Action
Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
At a Glance
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.
- CVE Published
- Oct 10, 2018
- Exploitation Reported
- Jan 21, 2022
- CVSS
- 7.8 High
- EPSS
- 69.8%
Affected Versions
31 version rows · page 1 of 2
| Vendor | Product | Version | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft |
Windows 7
|
32-bit Systems Service Pack 1 |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows 7
|
x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows Server 2012 R2
|
(Server Core installation) |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows RT 8.1
|
Windows RT 8.1 |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows Server 2008
|
32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows Server 2008
|
32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation) |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows Server 2008
|
Itanium-Based Systems Service Pack 2 |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows Server 2008
|
x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows Server 2008
|
x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation) |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows Server 2019
|
(Server Core installation) |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows Server 2012
|
(Server Core installation) |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows 8.1
|
32-bit systems |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows 8.1
|
x64-based systems |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows Server 2016
|
(Server Core installation) |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows Server 2008 R2
|
Itanium-Based Systems Service Pack 1 |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows Server 2008 R2
|
x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows Server 2008 R2
|
x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation) |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows 10
|
32-bit Systems |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows 10
|
Version 1607 for 32-bit Systems |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows 10
|
Version 1607 for x64-based Systems |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows 10
|
Version 1703 for 32-bit Systems |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows 10
|
Version 1703 for x64-based Systems |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows 10
|
Version 1709 for 32-bit Systems |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows 10
|
Version 1709 for x64-based Systems |
Affected |
| Microsoft |
Windows 10
|
Version 1803 for 32-bit Systems |
Affected |
CVE References
- 1041828 securitytracker.com · VDB Entry http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1041828
- 105467 securityfocus.com · VDB Entry http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105467
- securelist.com/cve-2018-8453-used-in-targeted-attack securelist.com · CVE Record https://securelist.com/cve-2018-8453-used-in-targeted-attack
- portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2018-8453 portal.msrc.microsoft.com · CVE Record https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CV...
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/153669/Microsoft-Windows-NtUserSetWind... packetstormsecurity.com · CVE Record http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/153669/Microsoft-Windows-NtUserS...
Recommended Actions
- Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
- Check enrichment artifacts for scanner coverage and available PoCs before rolling remediation validation.
- Use the Pro API to automate enrichment, telemetry, and workflow delivery for VM, SOC, and CTI pipelines.
Known Exploited Vulnerability Sources
Catalogues that list this CVE as a known exploited vulnerability.
Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the KEVIntel Pro API.
Learn about Pro API access| Source | Added |
|---|---|
| CISA First | 2022-01-21 00:00 UTC |
| Tenable Blog | 2026-06-02 14:20 UTC |
Scanner Artifacts
Nuclei and Metasploit references linked to this CVE.
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit | https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/local/cve_2018_8453_win32k_priv_esc.rb | Apr 28, 2025 |
Virtual Patch
Compensating WAF rules to help reduce exposure to this CVE. Rule content and deployable vendor exports are available with KEVIntel Enterprise.
KEVIntel does not currently have a virtual patch for this CVE. When available, KEVIntel virtual patches ship as deployable ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF rules.
Enterprise feature. Virtual patch rule content and deployable vendor exports (ModSecurity, Cloudflare, AWS WAF) are available to KEVIntel Enterprise users.
CVSS Scores
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Exploitation Status
Exploited in the wild
Recorded 2022-01-21 00:00:00 UTC · CISA
Used in malware
Recorded 2022-01-21 00:00:00 UTC · CISA
Proof of concept available
Recorded 2019-07-08 13:06:10 UTC · GitHub
Scanner Integrations
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit | https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/local/cve_2018_8453_win32k_priv_esc.rb | Apr 28, 2025 |
Recent Mentions
Tenable Blog · May 27, 2026
Tenable Research has developed a graph-based model linking 600+ threat groups to real-world customer exposures. It reveals which vulnerabilities sit at the intersection of severity, active exploitation, and organizational risk.Key takeawaysThe "patch everything" strategy is dead: Vulnerability prioritization based on exploitation risk offers a path forward. A directed graph model linking 600+ threat actors to vulnerabilities in 7,800 customer environments reveals that 68% of organizations carry at least one CVE previously exploited by a named adversary, and 321 tracked threat groups can reach at least one customer environment through an active vulnerability. Prevalence of "Elite Arsenal" CVEs requires immediate attention: The 242 "Elite Arsenal" CVEs — those meeting all three criteria of critical VPR (≥ 9), CISA KEV listing, and documented threat group exploitation — are nearly universally present across the studied customer base, with 241 of 242 actively detected. More than half are five or more years old, and 78% of the persistently exploited core are simultaneously weaponized by nation-state APTs, commodity malware operators, and ransomware gangs. Non-CVE exposures are universally dangerous: Non-CVE exposures, including misconfigurations, weak credentials, and end-of-life software, are present in virtually 100% of studied organizations, with 60% carrying at least one that maps to a tracked threat actor's preferred techniques. Preliminary modeling suggests these exposures may confer more breach risk than CVE-linked findings, yet no industry-standard scoring infrastructure exists to prioritize them.While the first two posts in this blog series documented the accelerating vulnerability flood and the widening remediation gap, today we answer the outstanding question: Where do these forces actually collide inside customer environments? Using a directed graph model that maps more than 600 tracked threat groups to vulnerabilities observed across 7,800 organizations,...
Potential Proof of Concepts
These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.
github · Created 2019-07-08 13:06:10 UTC · 13 stars
Timeline
Key exploitation, disclosure, scanner coverage, and KEV attestation events for this CVE.
-
14:20 UTC about 2 months ago14:20 UTC · about 2 months ago
KEV confirmed by Tenable Blog
Exploitation attested by an external source
-
15:02 UTC about 1 year ago15:02 UTC · about 1 year ago
Metasploit module available
Exploit module available
-
00:00 UTC over 4 years ago00:00 UTC · over 4 years ago
Added to CISA KEV
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
-
00:00 UTC over 4 years ago00:00 UTC · over 4 years ago
First public exploitation report
Exploit observed in malware
-
13:06 UTC about 7 years ago13:06 UTC · about 7 years ago
Public PoC available
Public proof-of-concept code published
-
13:00 UTC almost 8 years ago13:00 UTC · almost 8 years ago
CVE published
Vulnerability disclosed publicly
-
00:00 UTC over 8 years ago00:00 UTC · over 8 years ago
CVE ID reserved
Identifier reserved by the CNA
Automate This Intelligence with the Pro API
Confidence scoring, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.
Pro API Example
GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2018-8453
{
"cve_id": "CVE-2018-8453",
"title": "An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k com...",
"affected_vendor": "Microsoft",
"affected_product": "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",
"affected_versions": [
{ "vendor": "...", "product": "...", "status": "affected", "display_label": "..." }
],
"confidence": "Confirmed",
"cvss_score": 7.8,
"epss_score": 0.69833,
"exploit_status": {
"exploited_in_the_wild": true,
"active_exploitation_observed": false
},
"sensor_telemetry": { "...": "Pro API fields" },
"proof_of_concepts": [ "..." ],
"scanner_integrations": [ "..." ]
}