Win32k.sys Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
CVE-2015-1701 is a local elevation-of-privilege vulnerability in the Win32k.sys kernel-mode driver on Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista SP2, and Windows Server 2008 SP2. The issue allows a locally authenticated attacker to run a crafted application that abuses flawed handling in the Win32k subsystem to obtain elevated privileges. Microsoft described it as a Windows Kernel-Mode Drivers / Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability and patched it in MS15-051. Reporting in the provided content indicates the flaw was exploited in the wild in April 2015 and was used by APT28/Sednit and other actors as a post-compromise privilege-escalation step. The supporting material further notes operational use of the vulnerability to access the SYSTEM token and copy it into the current process, indicating exploitation results in execution under Local System or equivalent highly privileged context.
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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.
Mitigation
If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.
Remediation
Patch, then assume compromise.
Exploits
1 valid exploit after Mallory filtered fakes, detection scripts, and README-only repos (1 hidden).
This repository contains a functional local privilege escalation exploit for CVE-2015-1701, a vulnerability in the Microsoft Windows kernel (win32k.sys) that allows a local user to elevate privileges to SYSTEM. The exploit is implemented in C and is structured as a Visual Studio project, with the main logic in 'Source/Taihou/main.c'. Supporting files provide minimal runtime library functions. The exploit works by manipulating kernel structures and function pointers to steal the SYSTEM process token and assign it to the current process. Upon success, it spawns a SYSTEM-level command prompt (cmd.exe). The exploit only works on unpatched systems (Windows build <= 7601, prior to MS15-051). No network or remote attack vector is present; exploitation requires local code execution. The repository is well-structured, with clear separation between exploit logic and utility functions.
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.
Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.
Recent activity
12 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
A Windows local privilege escalation vulnerability (nicknamed RussianDoll) referenced as an exploit in the actor’s toolkit to gain higher privileges on compromised hosts.
A privilege escalation vulnerability used by APT28 to obtain the SYSTEM token and elevate privileges.
A Windows local privilege escalation vulnerability used post-compromise to elevate privileges to LOCAL SYSTEM after initial code execution via an Office EPS exploit chain.
A Windows kernel-mode driver vulnerability that could allow escalation of privilege, potentially enabling arbitrary code execution in kernel mode after local logon.
The version that knows your environment.
Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.
Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.
Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.
YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.
Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.
Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.