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Win32k

PRODUCT

· dossier confidence 20%

Microsoft's Win32k component, a core part of the Windows operating system, has a long history of critical security vulnerabilities, including privilege escalation and remote code execution, frequently exploited in ransomware attacks, requiring constant patching and vigilance.

Failure events
25
Zero-days
1
RCEs
12
On KEV
25
Critical
7
Worst shame
85
PROFILE
CategoryOperating System ComponentWhat they doWin32k is a core component of the Windows operating system responsible for managing graphical user interface elements. It handles window management, input processing, and other essential desktop functions. Websitehttps://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows ↗
SECURITY POSTURE

Win32k has a history of significant security vulnerabilities, frequently exploited in ransomware attacks and privilege escalation attempts. The component's complexity and critical role in the OS make it a frequent target for attackers.

Notable failures
  • Privilege escalation via CVE-2018-8120
  • Local privilege escalation via CVE-2015-2546
  • Remote code execution via CVE-2019-1458
  • Denial-of-service vulnerability via CVE-2015-2360
  • Object handling flaws leading to privilege escalation (multiple CVEs)
  • Unspecified vulnerabilities leading to privilege escalation (multiple CVEs)
Patterns: Repeated privilege escalation vulnerabilities; Object handling flaws in memory management; Active exploitation in ransomware attacks; Frequent need for critical security updates
FAILURE HISTORY · 25
DATEEVENTSEVSUMMARY
2021-11-03 CVE-2020-1054 high A kernel-mode privilege escalation flaw in Microsoft Win32k allowed attackers to execute arbitrary code in kernel mode.
2021-11-03 CVE-2019-0797 high A kernel-mode privilege escalation flaw in Microsoft Win32k allowed attackers to execute arbitrary code with system privileges.
2021-11-03 CVE-2021-28310 high A privilege escalation vulnerability in Microsoft Win32k was actively exploited in the wild, allowing attackers to escalate privileges on Windows systems.
2022-03-15 CVE-2015-2546 critical A Microsoft Win32k vulnerability allowed local privilege escalation, actively exploited and linked to ransomware attacks, impacting Windows OS and Server deployments.
2022-03-15 CVE-2018-8120 critical A Microsoft Win32k vulnerability allowed privilege escalation, actively exploited and linked to ransomware attacks, impacting Windows systems widely used in the DIB.
2022-01-21 CVE-2018-8453 critical A Microsoft Win32k vulnerability allowed privilege escalation and was actively exploited, likely in ransomware attacks, impacting Windows systems widely used in the DIB.
2022-05-23 CVE-2018-8589 high Microsoft Win32k privilege escalation flaw allowed local system-level remote code execution.
2022-05-04 CVE-2014-4113 high A privilege escalation vulnerability in Microsoft Win32k was actively exploited in the wild, allowing attackers to escalate privileges on Windows systems.
2022-03-15 CVE-2019-1132 high A privilege escalation vulnerability in Windows Win32k was actively exploited in the wild, allowing attackers to escalate privileges without remote code execution.
2022-02-04 CVE-2022-21882 high Microsoft Win32k privilege escalation vulnerability (CVE-2022-21882) was actively exploited in the wild before patching.
2021-11-03 CVE-2019-0803 high Microsoft Win32k privilege escalation vulnerability allows kernel-mode code execution via improper memory handling.
2021-11-03 CVE-2019-0808 high A kernel-mode privilege escalation flaw in Microsoft Win32k allowed attackers to execute arbitrary code with system privileges.
2021-11-03 CVE-2019-0859 high Microsoft Win32k privilege escalation vulnerability allows kernel-mode code execution via improper memory handling.
2021-11-03 CVE-2016-7255 high A Microsoft Win32k kernel-mode driver flaw allowed privilege escalation to kernel-mode code execution.
2022-04-25 CVE-2021-40450 high Microsoft Win32k privilege escalation vulnerability (CVE-2021-40450) was actively exploited in the wild, allowing attackers to escalate privileges on Windows systems.
2022-04-25 CVE-2021-41357 high Microsoft Win32k privilege escalation vulnerability (CVE-2021-41357) allows attackers to escalate privileges on Windows systems.
2022-02-10 CVE-2017-0263 high Microsoft Win32k privilege escalation vulnerability allows attackers to escalate privileges via kernel-mode driver memory handling failures.
2023-06-22 CVE-2016-0165 high Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
2023-05-09 CVE-2023-29336 high Microsoft Win32k privilege escalation vulnerability allows SYSTEM access.
2022-03-28 CVE-2013-3660 high A local privilege escalation vulnerability in Microsoft's Win32k.sys allowed attackers to escalate privileges via a pointer initialization flaw.
2022-03-03 CVE-2015-1701 critical A Microsoft Windows Server vulnerability allowed local attackers to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code, actively exploited and linked to ransomware activity.
2022-01-10 CVE-2019-1458 critical A Microsoft Win32k vulnerability allowed privilege escalation, actively exploited and linked to ransomware attacks, impacting Windows systems widely used in the DIB.
2021-11-03 CVE-2016-0167 critical A Microsoft Win32k vulnerability allowed privilege escalation, actively exploited and linked to ransomware attacks, impacting DIB organizations using Windows systems.
2021-11-03 CVE-2021-1732 critical A Microsoft Win32k vulnerability allows privilege escalation and is actively exploited in ransomware attacks, impacting DIB organizations using Windows systems.
2022-05-25 CVE-2015-2360 high A local privilege escalation vulnerability in Microsoft Win32k.sys allowed attackers to gain elevated access or cause denial-of-service.
DOSSIER SOURCES
Open questions: What specific development or design practices contribute to the recurring vulnerabilities? · Are there mitigations available to reduce the risk associated with Win32k vulnerabilities? · What is Microsoft's remediation timeline for Win32k vulnerabilities?
DOSSIER · dex-RAG synthesis · grounded in our own collection + trusted sourcesbuilt 2026-07-22 04:20:35.799158+00:00