CubePath
Sign Up

CVE-2018-8120

Improper Resource Shutdown or Release

CVSS 3.1 High 7.0Known exploited (CISA KEV)

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Description

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.

Official description from the CVE record, published by microsoft. Copyright © 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. See /security/cve/legal for the CVE license. View the record on cve.org

Key data

CVSS 3.1 High 7.0

Score published by CISA-ADP in the CVE record.

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

  • Attack vector: Local

    The attacker needs local access to the system, or to trick a user into running something.

  • Attack complexity: High

    The attack depends on conditions outside the attacker's control, so it takes preparation.

  • Privileges required: Low

    A basic user account is needed.

  • User interaction: None

    No action from any user is needed.

  • Scope: Unchanged

    The impact stays within the vulnerable component.

  • Confidentiality impact: High

    Serious or total effect on the secrecy of data.

  • Integrity impact: High

    Serious or total effect on the trustworthiness of data.

  • Availability impact: High

    Serious or total effect on availability.

CVSS is owned and managed by FIRST.Org, Inc. (FIRST) and is used by permission. Each CVSS score on this site is shown together with its vector string, as published in the CVE record by the source named next to it. Learn more at first.org/cvss.

EPSS

Exploit Prediction Scoring System by FIRST: an estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days.
Score
0.73288 (73.3% probability)
Percentile
99.5%
Scores of
Nov 10, 2026
Model
v2026.06.15

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

This CVE is listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
Name in the catalog
Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
Added to the catalog
Mar 15, 2022
Federal due date
Apr 5, 2022
Ransomware campaigns
Known use

CISA assessment as of Mar 14, 2022

Stakeholder-Specific Vulnerability Categorization (SSVC) decision points added by CISA.
Exploitation
Recorded by CISA as active
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total

Weakness (CWE)

CWE catalog version 5.0.
CWE names: Copyright © 2006-2026, The MITRE Corporation. See /security/cve/legal for the CWE license.
  • CWE-404Improper Resource Shutdown or Release

Affected products

Products listed in the CVE record, as the CNA published them.

  • Microsoft Windows Server 2008

    • affected: 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2
    • affected: 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)
    • affected: Itanium-Based Systems Service Pack 2
    • affected: x64-based Systems Service Pack 2
    • affected: x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)

  • Microsoft Windows 7

    • affected: 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1
    • affected: x64-based Systems Service Pack 1

  • Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2

    • affected: Itanium-Based Systems Service Pack 1
    • affected: x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
    • affected: x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation)

References

Links listed in the CVE record. They lead to other sites, which CubePath does not control.

Timeline

  1. ID reserved
  2. Record published
  3. Added to CISA KEV
  4. Record last updated

Look up another CVE

About CubePath

CubePath is a cloud provider with data centers in Europe and the United States. It offers VPS, bare metal servers and DDoS protection.
Cloud VPSDDoS protection

Data from the CVE Program (MITRE), CISA KEV and FIRST EPSS. CVSS is owned by FIRST and used by permission. Not affiliated with or endorsed by MITRE, CISA or FIRST. Data as of Nov 10, 2026, 19:31 UTC. Sources and licenses