How severe is CVE-2011-1881?

CVE-2011-1881 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.4, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2011-1881 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (68th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2011-1881?

CVE-2011-1881 primarily affects Microsoft Windows 2003 Server. In total, 17 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2011-1881?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2011-1881 published?

CVE-2011-1881 was published on 2011-07-13 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2011-1881

CVE-2011-1881 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 2003 Server with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.4. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-476.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.4)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (68th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-476
Affected product: Microsoft Windows 2003 Server
Published: 2011-07-13
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

win32k.sys in the kernel-mode drivers in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista SP1 and SP2, Windows Server 2008 Gold, SP2, R2, and R2 SP1, and Windows 7 Gold and SP1 allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application that triggers a NULL pointer dereference, a different vulnerability than other CVEs listed in MS11-054, aka "Win32k Null Pointer De-reference Vulnerability."

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2011-1881?: win32k.sys in the kernel-mode drivers in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista SP1 and SP2, Windows Server 2008 Gold, SP2, R2, and R2 SP1, and Windows 7 Gold and SP1 allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application that triggers a NULL pointer dereference, a different vulnerability than other CVEs listed in MS11-054, aka "Win32k Null Pointer De-reference Vulnerability."
How severe is CVE-2011-1881?: CVE-2011-1881 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.4, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2011-1881 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (68th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2011-1881?: CVE-2011-1881 primarily affects Microsoft Windows 2003 Server. In total, 17 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2011-1881?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2011-1881 published?: CVE-2011-1881 was published on 2011-07-13 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (17)

cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_2003_server:*:sp2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_7:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_7:-:sp1:x64:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_7:-:sp1:x86:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2003:*:sp2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2008:*:*:itanium:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2008:*:*:x32:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2008:*:*:x64:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2008:*:sp2:x32:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2008:*:sp2:x64:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2008:-:sp2:itanium:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2008:r2:*:itanium:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2008:r2:*:x64:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_vista:*:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_vista:*:sp2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_xp:*:sp3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_xp:-:sp2:x64:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows 2003 Server

CVE-2011-1868 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The Distributed File System (DFS) implementation in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and SP3 and Server 2003 SP2 does not…
CVE-2011-1268 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The SMB client in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista SP1 and SP2, Windows Server…
CVE-2011-0661 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The SMB Server service in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista SP1 and SP2, Windows…
CVE-2011-0654 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Integer underflow in the BowserWriteErrorLogEntry function in the Common Internet File System (CIFS) browser service in…
CVE-2010-2550 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The SMB Server in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista SP1 and SP2, Windows Server…
CVE-2010-0476 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The SMB client in Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP2, Vista Gold, SP1, and SP2, and Windows Server 2008 Gold and SP2…

All CVEs affecting Microsoft Windows 2003 Server →

Other CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference) vulnerabilities

CVE-2022-36648 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The hardware emulation in the of_dpa_cmd_add_l2_flood of rocker device model in QEMU, as used in 7.0.0 and earlier,…
CVE-2020-14500 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Secomea GateManager all versions prior to 9.2c, An attacker can send a negative value and overwrite arbitrary data.
CVE-2010-2495 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The pppol2tp_xmit function in drivers/net/pppol2tp.c in the L2TP implementation in the Linux kernel before 2.6.34 does…
CVE-2026-46195 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smb: client: validate dacloffset before building…
CVE-2026-31657 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: batman-adv: hold claim backbone gateways by…
CVE-2026-31436 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: dmaengine: idxd: fix possible wrong descriptor…

Browse all CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference) vulnerabilities →