How severe is CVE-2018-8453?

CVE-2018-8453 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-8453 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2018-8453 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2022-01-21, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-8453?

CVE-2018-8453 primarily affects Microsoft Windows 10 1507. In total, 17 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-8453?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.

Does CVE-2018-8453 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2018-8453 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2018-20088. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2022-01-21).

When was CVE-2018-8453 published?

CVE-2018-8453 was published on 2018-10-10 and last updated on 2026-08-13.

CVE-2018-8453

CVE-2018-8453 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10 1507 with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming it has been exploited in the wild (added 2022-01-21).

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 70% (99th percentile)
Actively exploited: Yes — listed in CISA KEV (added 2022-01-21)
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2018-20088
EU exploitation: Flagged exploited in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (since 2022-01-21)
Affected product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
Published: 2018-10-10
Last modified: 2026-08-13

Description

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory, aka "Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability." This affects Windows 7, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2012, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 10, Windows 10 Servers.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-8453?: An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory, aka "Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability." This affects Windows 7, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2012, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 10, Windows 10 Servers.
How severe is CVE-2018-8453?: CVE-2018-8453 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-8453 being actively exploited?: Yes. CVE-2018-8453 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2022-01-21, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-8453?: CVE-2018-8453 primarily affects Microsoft Windows 10 1507. In total, 17 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-8453?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.
Does CVE-2018-8453 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2018-8453 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2018-20088. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2022-01-21).
When was CVE-2018-8453 published?: CVE-2018-8453 was published on 2018-10-10 and last updated on 2026-08-13.

References

Affected products (17)

cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1507:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1607:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1703:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1709:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1803:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1809:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_7:-:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_8.1:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_rt_8.1:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_1709:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_1803:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2008:-:sp2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2008:r2:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2012:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2012:r2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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