Loading vulnerability…
A local elevation-of-privilege vulnerability in the Windows Win32k component caused by improper handling of objects in memory. The flaw resides in kernel-mode Win32k object management and can allow an attacker to leverage memory corruption to execute arbitrary code in kernel context. Microsoft assigned this issue the name Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability. Affected platforms include multiple supported Windows client and server releases, including Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows RT 8.1, and several Windows Server versions from 2008 through 2019.
Mallory correlates every CVE against your assets, your vendors, and active adversary campaigns. Know which vulnerabilities matter for you, not just which ones are loud.
What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.
What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.
If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.
Patch, then assume compromise.
1 valid exploit after Mallory filtered fakes, detection scripts, and README-only repos (1 hidden).
This repository contains a local privilege escalation exploit for CVE-2018-8639, targeting Microsoft Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, and 2008 R2. The structure includes two main Visual Studio projects: one for x86 (win7_x86/cve) and one for x64 (x64/exp), each with C/C++ source code and supporting assembly for direct system calls. The exploit works by manipulating Windows kernel memory structures (such as EPROCESS and process tokens) using GDI palette and accelerator table objects to achieve arbitrary kernel memory read/write. It then replaces the current process token with that of the SYSTEM process, and finally spawns a SYSTEM-level command shell (cmd.exe). The exploit must be run locally on a vulnerable system. The code is operational and provides a working SYSTEM shell if successful. The only fingerprintable endpoint is the hardcoded path to cmd.exe. The repository is well-structured for building and running the exploit on both x86 and x64 Windows platforms.
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.
6 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
A Microsoft vulnerability that CISA KEV’s knownRansomwareCampaignUse field silently flipped to Known during 2025 (evidence of ransomware campaign use).
A Windows local privilege escalation vulnerability used by Makop operators as a reliable privilege-escalation primitive.
A historical Win32K subsystem vulnerability referenced as an example of a high-profile flaw that was actively exploited.
A critical elevation of privilege vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Win32k component allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code in kernel mode.
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.