CVE-2023-38159: Windows Graphics Component Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
CVE-2023-38159 is an elevation of privilege vulnerability in Windows Graphics Component, rated Important by Microsoft, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7 (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 4.06% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 91% of all scored vulnerabilities. Microsoft released the fix on 10 October 2023 in the October 2023 Patch Tuesday, delivered through 7 security updates (KB5031361, KB5031364, KB5031358, KB5031356 and more). It affects 23 products in 1 product family (Windows).
Key facts
- CVE ID
- CVE-2023-38159
- Severity
- High CVSS 7
- Microsoft severity
- Important
- Impact
- Elevation of Privilege
- Exploited in the wild
- No
- Publicly disclosed
- No
- Exploitation likelihood
- More Likely
- Weakness
- CWE-591; CWE-362
- EPSS
- 4.06% (percentile 91%)
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Released
- Last updated
- Patch Tuesday
- October 2023 Patch Tuesday
- Product families
- Windows
CVSS score and vector
Microsoft scores CVE-2023-38159 at 7 (temporal 6.1) using CVSS 3.1. Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack vector | Local |
| Attack complexity | High |
| Privileges required | Low |
| User interaction | None |
| Scope | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality impact | High |
| Integrity impact | High |
| Availability impact | High |
| Exploit code maturity | Unproven |
| 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.
According to the CVSS metric, the attack complexity is high (AC:H). What does that mean for this vulnerability?
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to win a race condition.
Affected products (23)
Windows
| Product | Security update | Type | Fixed build | Restart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems | KB5031361 | Security Update | 10.0.17763.4974 | Yes |
| Windows 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems | KB5031361 | Security Update | 10.0.17763.4974 | Yes |
| Windows 10 Version 1809 for ARM64-based Systems | KB5031361 | Security Update | 10.0.17763.4974 | Yes |
| Windows Server 2019 | KB5031361 | Security Update | 10.0.17763.4974 | Yes |
| Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation) | KB5031361 | Security Update | 10.0.17763.4974 | Yes |
| Windows Server 2022 | KB5031364 | Security Update | 10.0.20348.2031 | Yes |
| Windows Server 2022 (Server Core installation) | KB5031364 | Security Update | 10.0.20348.2031 | Yes |
| Windows 11 version 21H2 for x64-based Systems | KB5031358 | Security Update | 10.0.22000.2538 | Yes |
| Windows 11 version 21H2 for ARM64-based Systems | KB5031358 | Security Update | 10.0.22000.2538 | Yes |
| Windows 10 Version 21H2 for 32-bit Systems | KB5031356 | Security Update | 10.0.19041.3570 | Yes |
| Windows 10 Version 21H2 for ARM64-based Systems | KB5031356 | Security Update | 10.0.19041.3570 | Yes |
| Windows 10 Version 21H2 for x64-based Systems | KB5031356 | Security Update | 10.0.19041.3570 | Yes |
| Windows 11 Version 22H2 for ARM64-based Systems | KB5031354 | Security Update | 10.0.22621.2428 | Yes |
| Windows 11 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems | KB5031354 | Security Update | 10.0.22621.2428 | 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 | ||||
| Windows 10 for 32-bit Systems | KB5031377 | Security Update | 10.0.10240.20232 | Yes |
| Windows 10 for x64-based Systems | KB5031377 | Security Update | 10.0.10240.20232 | Yes |
| Windows 10 Version 1607 for 32-bit Systems | KB5031362 | Security Update | 10.0.14393.6351 | Yes |
| Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems | KB5031362 | Security Update | 10.0.14393.6351 | Yes |
| Windows Server 2016 | KB5031362 | Security Update | 10.0.14393.6351 | Yes |
| Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation) | KB5031362 | Security Update | 10.0.14393.6351 | Yes |
Security updates (7)
NIST NVD data
Affected configurations (CPE)
| Product | Vulnerable versions |
|---|---|
| windows 10 1507 | before 10.0.10240.20232 |
| windows 10 1607 | before 10.0.14393.6351 |
| windows 10 1809 | before 10.0.17763.4974 |
| windows 10 21h2 | before 10.0.19041.3570 |
| windows 10 22h2 | before 10.0.19045.3570 |
| windows 11 21h2 | before 10.0.22000.2538 |
| windows 11 22h2 | before 10.0.22621.2428 |
| windows server 2016 | all listed versions |
| windows server 2019 | all listed versions |
| windows server 2022 | all listed versions |
References
- https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2023-38159 (Patch, Vendor Advisory)
- https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2023-38159 (Patch, Vendor Advisory)
Acknowledgments
Revision history
| Version | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Information published. |