CVE-2023-28274: Windows Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
CVE-2023-28274 is an elevation of privilege vulnerability in Windows Win32k, rated Important by Microsoft, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 (High). An attacker can exploit it by an attacker with local access, with low privileges and without user interaction. Microsoft has not reported exploitation in the wild and rates exploitation as more likely. The EPSS model estimates a 6.83% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 94% of all scored vulnerabilities. Microsoft released the fix on 11 April 2023 in the April 2023 Patch Tuesday, delivered through 5 security updates (KB5025229, KB5025230, KB5025221, KB5025224 and more). It affects 19 products in 1 product family (Windows).
Key facts
- CVE ID
- CVE-2023-28274
- Severity
- High CVSS 7.8
- Microsoft severity
- Important
- Impact
- Elevation of Privilege
- Exploited in the wild
- No
- Publicly disclosed
- No
- Exploitation likelihood
- More Likely
- Weakness
- CWE-20
- EPSS
- 6.83% (percentile 94%)
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Released
- Last updated
- Patch Tuesday
- April 2023 Patch Tuesday
- Product families
- Windows
CVSS score and vector
Microsoft scores CVE-2023-28274 at 7.8 (temporal 7) using CVSS 3.1. Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack vector | Local |
| Attack complexity | Low |
| Privileges required | Low |
| User interaction | None |
| Scope | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality impact | High |
| Integrity impact | High |
| Availability impact | High |
| Exploit code maturity | Proof of concept |
| Remediation level | Official fix |
| Report confidence | Confirmed |
Frequently asked questions (Microsoft)
What privileges could be gained by an attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability?
An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain SYSTEM privileges.
Affected products (19)
Windows
| Product | Security update | Type | Fixed build | Restart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems | KB5025229 | Security Update | 10.0.17763.4252 | Yes |
| Windows 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems | KB5025229 | Security Update | 10.0.17763.4252 | Yes |
| Windows 10 Version 1809 for ARM64-based Systems | KB5025229 | Security Update | 10.0.17763.4252 | Yes |
| Windows Server 2019 | KB5025229 | Security Update | 10.0.17763.4252 | Yes |
| Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation) | KB5025229 | Security Update | 10.0.17763.4252 | Yes |
| Windows Server 2022 | KB5025230 | Security Update | 10.0.20348.1668 | Yes |
| Windows Server 2022 (Server Core installation) | KB5025230 | Security Update | 10.0.20348.1668 | Yes |
| Windows 10 Version 20H2 for 32-bit Systems | KB5025221 | Security Update | 10.0.19042.2846 | Yes |
| Windows 10 Version 20H2 for ARM64-based Systems | KB5025221 | Security Update | 10.0.19042.2846 | Yes |
| Windows 11 version 21H2 for x64-based Systems | KB5025224 | Security Update | 10.0.22000.1817 | Yes |
| Windows 11 version 21H2 for ARM64-based Systems | KB5025224 | Security Update | 10.0.22000.1817 | Yes |
| Windows 10 Version 21H2 for 32-bit Systems | ||||
| Windows 10 Version 21H2 for ARM64-based Systems | ||||
| Windows 10 Version 21H2 for x64-based Systems | ||||
| Windows 11 Version 22H2 for ARM64-based Systems | KB5025239 | Security Update | 10.0.22621.1555 | Yes |
| Windows 11 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems | KB5025239 | Security Update | 10.0.22621.1555 | Yes |
| Windows 10 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems | ||||
| Windows 10 Version 22H2 for ARM64-based Systems | ||||
| Windows 10 Version 22H2 for 32-bit Systems |
Security updates (5)
NIST NVD data
- NVD status
- Modified
- NVD CVSS
- 7.8 (HIGH)
- NVD weakness
- CWE-20
- Published to NVD
- NVD last modified
Affected configurations (CPE)
| Product | Vulnerable versions |
|---|---|
| windows 10 1809 | before 10.0.17763.4252 |
| windows 10 20h2 | before 10.0.19042.2846 |
| windows 10 21h2 | before 10.0.19044.2846 |
| windows 10 22h2 | before 10.0.19045.2846 |
| windows 11 21h2 | before 10.0.22000.1817 |
| windows 11 22h2 | before 10.0.22621.1555 |
| windows server 2019 | all listed versions |
| windows server 2022 | all listed versions |
References
- https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2023-28274 (Patch, Vendor Advisory)
- https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2023-28274 (Patch, Vendor Advisory)
Acknowledgments
- Anonymous
Revision history
| Version | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Information published. |