HighCISA KEVExploited in the wildPublic exploit

Driver Improper Interaction with Windows Kernel Vulnerability in win32k.sys

IdentifiersCVE-2010-4398CWE-121

CVE-2010-4398 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in the RtlQueryRegistryValues function in win32k.sys on Microsoft Windows XP SP2/SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista SP1/SP2, Windows Server 2008 Gold/SP2/R2, and Windows 7. The flaw is a stack-based buffer overflow triggered by a crafted REG_BINARY value associated with the SystemDefaultEUDCFont registry key. By causing win32k.sys to improperly process this registry data, a local attacker can corrupt stack memory in kernel context and execute code with elevated privileges. Microsoft refers to this issue as the "Driver Improper Interaction with Windows Kernel Vulnerability."

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation allows a local user to gain elevated privileges up to kernel/system level. The vulnerability can also be used to bypass User Account Control (UAC), enabling post-compromise privilege escalation from a lower-privileged account to full control of the affected host.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

Until patches are applied, reduce exposure by preventing untrusted local code execution, restricting interactive logon to trusted users, enforcing least privilege, and monitoring or controlling modification of the relevant registry locations including the SystemDefaultEUDCFont key. Because exploitation is local, hardening measures such as application allowlisting, endpoint detection for suspicious registry manipulation, and limiting the ability of users to run arbitrary binaries can reduce risk, but these measures do not fully remediate the flaw.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Apply the Microsoft security update that addresses CVE-2010-4398 for the affected Windows versions. Systems running Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Vista, Server 2008, and Windows 7 should be updated to the vendor-fixed build level. Unsupported operating systems should be upgraded to supported versions because no further security fixes are available for end-of-life platforms.

PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No valid public exploits. Mallory filtered out 1 candidate as fakes, detection scripts, or README-only repos.

VALID 0 / 1 TOTALView more in app

All candidate exploits were filtered out by Mallory's validation.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType

Microsoft CorporationWindows 7operating_system

Microsoft CorporationWindows Server 2003operating_system

Microsoft CorporationWindows Server 2008operating_system

Microsoft CorporationWindows Vistaoperating_system

Microsoft CorporationWindows Xpoperating_system

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

5 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.

5 SOURCESView more in app

vulncheck blogNews

Feb 15, 2024

Reimagining How We Think About Threat Actors

A specific vulnerability (CVE-2010-4398) associated with exploitation or targeting by the Cozy Bear (APT29) threat actor.

vulncheck blogNews

Feb 15, 2024

Reimagining How We Think About Threat Actors

A specific vulnerability (CVE-2010-4398) associated with exploitation or targeting by the Cozy Bear (APT29) threat actor.

mitre attackNews

Jan 24, 2026

Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, Technique T1068 - Enterprise | MITRE ATT&CK®

Windows privilege escalation vulnerability exploited by multiple malware/actors in the content (Carberp, CosmicDuke, FIN6).

mitre attackNews

Mar 18, 2026

Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, Technique T1068 - Enterprise | MITRE ATT&CK®

Windows privilege escalation vulnerability exploited by multiple malware/actors in the content (Carberp, CosmicDuke, FIN6).

+1 more in the timeline

What this page doesn’t show

The version that knows your environment.

This page is what’s public. Mallory adds the parts that aren’t: which of your assets are affected, which adversaries are exploiting it right now, which detections to deploy, and what to do tonight.

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Exposure mapping

Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.

Threat actor evidence2

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware4

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures1

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.

EXTERNAL REFERENCES

MITRE CVE

cve.org · CVE-2010-4398

NVD

nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2010-4398

MITRE CWE · CWE-121

cwe.mitre.org

Patch

docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2011/ms11-011

Third Party Advisory

support.avaya.com/css/P8/documents/100127248

Third Party Advisory

exploit-db.com/exploits/15609

Third Party Advisory

kb.cert.org/vuls/id/529673

Exploit

isc.sans.edu/diary.html?storyid=9988

US Government Resource

cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2010-4398