Loading vulnerability…
CVE-2023-29336 is a Win32k local elevation-of-privilege vulnerability in Microsoft Windows that was patched in May 2023 and reported as exploited in the wild. Available technical analysis attributes the flaw to incorrect locking and reference handling for nested menu objects during Win32k menu processing. Specifically, code paths involving functions such as xxxEnableMenuItem and xxxRedrawTitle can operate on a menu object after its references have been removed and the object has been released, resulting in a use-after-free condition. Researchers described exploitation on Windows Server 2016 using a crafted multi-level menu hierarchy to trigger stale menu-object reuse, then reclaiming the freed allocation with a controllable object to corrupt adjacent Win32k state. The published analysis further describes building arbitrary read and write primitives from that state corruption, enabling escalation from a local context to highly privileged execution. The issue was described as not practically exploitable on Windows 11 in the analyzed scenario, while older Windows versions remained exposed.
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 proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit for CVE-2023-29336, a local privilege escalation vulnerability in the Win32k.sys kernel driver on Microsoft Windows. The exploit is implemented in a single C++ source file (exploit.cpp) and is accompanied by a README.md that provides background on the vulnerability. The exploit works by manipulating Windows GUI objects and kernel structures via USER32.DLL and Win32k.sys, ultimately spawning a SYSTEM-level command shell (cmd.exe) on the vulnerable system. The attack vector is local, requiring the attacker to execute the exploit on the target machine. The code demonstrates advanced Windows kernel exploitation techniques but does not include weaponized features such as remote delivery or payload customization. The endpoints identified are primarily Windows system files and objects manipulated during exploitation.
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.
7 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
A local privilege escalation vulnerability in Microsoft Windows, allowing attackers to gain elevated privileges on a compromised system.
Previously patched Windows Win32k elevation of privilege zero-day referenced for historical context.
A Win32k privilege escalation vulnerability involving incorrect object referencing and a use-after-free condition in menu/window handling, enabling local privilege escalation on older Windows systems.
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.