CVE-2019-1169: Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

Severity: high (CVSS 7.2 v2.0)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 1.0% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2019-08-14 · updated 2026-06-17

Description

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows when the Windows kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability and take control of an affected system. The update addresses this vulnerability by correcting how the Windows kernel-mode driver handles objects in memory.

Affected products

Microsoft Windows 7: all versions
Microsoft Windows Server 2008: r2-sp1
Microsoft Windows 7: from 6.1.0 before publication — fixed in publication
Microsoft Windows 7 Service Pack 1: from 6.1.0 before publication — fixed in publication
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1: from 6.1.0 before publication — fixed in publication
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Systems Service Pack 1: from 6.1.0 before publication — fixed in publication
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2: from 6.0.0 before publication — fixed in publication

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Microsoft Windows 7 publication; Microsoft Windows 7 Service Pack 1 publication; Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 publication; Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Systems Service Pack 1 publication; Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 publication. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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