{"id":"CVE-2015-1701","published":"2015-04-21T10:59:00Z","modified":"2026-08-14T05:16:52Z","title":"Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability","vendor":"Microsoft","product":"Win32k","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"Win32k.sys in the kernel-mode drivers in Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP2, Vista SP2, and Server 2008 SP2 allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, as exploited in the wild in April 2015, aka \"Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability.\"","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"A flaw in Win32k.sys, the kernel-mode driver component of Microsoft Win32k, affects Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP2, Vista SP2 and Server 2008 SP2. An attacker with local, low-privilege access to the system can run a crafted application to gain elevated privileges, without requiring user interaction.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-23T06:54:48Z"},"cvss":{"score":7.8,"severity":"HIGH","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.55923,"percentile":0.99042,"date":"2026-10-28","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2022-03-03","dueDate":"2022-03-24","ransomware":true,"requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","notes":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-1701","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2015-04-18","exploitedFirstSeen":"2015-04-18","ransomware":true,"evidence":[{"url":"https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lkNJ0uQwbeC1ZTRrxdtuPLCIl7mlUreoKfSIgajnSyY/edit","date":"2015-04-18"},{"url":"https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2015/04/probable_apt28_useo.html","date":"2015-04-18"},{"url":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2015-1701","date":"2015-04-21"},{"url":"https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2015/12/the_eps_awakens.html","date":"2015-12-16"},{"url":"https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2015/12/the-eps-awakens-part-two.html","date":"2015-12-21"},{"url":"https://www2.fireeye.com/rs/848-DID-242/images/wp-mandiant-matryoshka-mining.pdf","date":"2016-01-01"},{"url":"https://blog.trendmicro.com/trendlabs-security-intelligence/locky-ransomware-spreads-flash-windows-kernel-exploits/","date":"2016-04-28"},{"url":"https://www.proofpoint.com/us/threat-insight/post/apt-targets-financial-analysts","date":"2016-05-25"},{"url":"https://www.recordedfuture.com/russian-apt-toolkits","date":"2016-08-04"},{"url":"https://www.deepwatch.com/blog/profile-of-an-adversary-fin7/","date":"2019-05-13"}],"evidenceTotal":27,"provenance":"source"},"exploited":true,"otx":{"pulseCount":50,"pulses":[{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev 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2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad62f63c24a405a3423cc13","created":"2026-10-19"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 19, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad4dda174e5797d0bd238b7","created":"2026-10-18"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 18, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad38c22e1848f8189d1c121","created":"2026-10-17"}],"provenance":"machine"},"cwes":[{"id":"CWE-264","name":null}],"references":[{"url":"http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/May/34","tags":["Broken Link","Mailing List","Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"http://twitter.com/symantec/statuses/590208710527549440","tags":["Press/Media Coverage"]},{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/74245","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1032155","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2015/ms15-051","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/37049/","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/37367/","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2015/04/probable_apt28_useo.html","tags":["Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/May/34","tags":["Broken Link","Mailing List","Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"http://twitter.com/symantec/statuses/590208710527549440","tags":["Press/Media Coverage"]},{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/74245","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1032155","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2015/ms15-051","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/37049/","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/37367/","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2015/04/probable_apt28_useo.html","tags":["Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2015-1701","tags":["US Government Resource"]}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1068","name":"Exploitation for Privilege Escalation","tactics":["privilege-escalation"],"provenance":"source","basis":"ctid-cve","bases":["ctid-cve","ai-mapping","report-attack-id"],"basisDetail":"CTID attack_to_cve (Phase 1); claude-haiku-5-5: local privilege escalation via crafted application; ATT&CK ID T1068 written in the same sentence as CVE-2015-1701","mappingType":"uncategorized","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application","start":107,"end":170},{"reportId":"SRC-6b3e642533244fecdf80","quote":"Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068): CVE-2020-0796, CVE-2019-1458, CVE-2017-0213, CVE-2015-1701","start":26302,"end":26407},{"reportId":"SRC-b072c61974965d9184f6","quote":"Exploitation for Privilege Exploitation ((T1068) CVE-2015-1701","start":10439,"end":10501}],"confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"}],"reports":[{"id":"SRC-b072c61974965d9184f6","title":"McAfee Defender’s Blog: NetWalker","publisher":"mcafee.com","url":"https://www.mcafee.com/blogs/other-blogs/mcafee-labs/mcafee-defenders-blog-netwalker/","date":null,"mentions":[{"quote":"Exploitation for Privilege Exploitation ((T1068) CVE-2015-1701","start":10439,"end":10501},{"quote":"Network Security Platform (CVE-2015-1701); Endpoint Security Platform 10.7, Threat Prevention, Application Control (MAC)","start":10608,"end":10728}]},{"id":"SRC-6b3e642533244fecdf80","title":"Take a “NetWalk” on the Wild Side","publisher":"mcafee.com","url":"https://www.mcafee.com/blogs/other-blogs/mcafee-labs/take-a-netwalk-on-the-wild-side/","date":null,"mentions":[{"quote":"Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068): CVE-2020-0796, CVE-2019-1458, CVE-2017-0213, CVE-2015-1701","start":26302,"end":26407}]},{"id":"SRC-619721166ae9d9d7fdcd","title":"Microsoft Security","publisher":"download.microsoft.com","url":"https://download.microsoft.com/download/4/4/C/44CDEF0E-7924-4787-A56A-16261691ACE3/Microsoft_Security_Intelligence_Report_Volume_19_English.pdf","date":null,"mentions":[{"quote":"ash\r\nCVE-2015-3043\r\nCVE-2015-5119\r\nCVE-2015-7645\r\n(0-day)\r\nInternet Explorer\r\nCVE-2014-1776\r\nCVE-2014-6332\r\nCVE-2014-3897\r\nRemote code\r\nexecution through\r\nmalicious\r\nattachment\r\nMicrosoft Word\r\nCVE-2015-1641\r\n(0-day)\r\nMicrosoft Word\r\nCVE-2015-2424\r\n(0-day)\r\nPrivilege escalation\r\nor sandbox escape\r\nWin32k\r\nCVE-2015-1701","start":26465,"end":26785},{"quote":"privilege escalation exploit (CVE-2015-1701, addressed by Security Bulletin","start":36604,"end":36679},{"quote":" The kernel vulnerabilities exploited by STRONTIUM (CVE-2015-1701,","start":42056,"end":42123},{"quote":"STRONTIUM's CVE-2015-1701 exploit terminates execution on the newest versions of Windows","start":42776,"end":42864},{"quote":"CVE-2015-1701 Win32k EoP Microsoft Windows MS15-051","start":98606,"end":98657}]}],"affected":[],"advisories":[],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2015-1831","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2015-1831","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2022-03-03","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[{"id":37049,"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/37049","title":"Microsoft Windows - Local Privilege Escalation (MS15-051)","type":"local","platform":"windows","date":"2015-05-18","verified":true,"provenance":"source"},{"id":37367,"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/37367","title":"Microsoft Windows - ClientCopyImage Win32k (MS15-051) (Metasploit)","type":"local","platform":"windows","date":"2015-06-24","verified":true,"provenance":"source"}],"exploitSources":{"exploitdb":{"count":2,"earliest":"2015-05-18"},"pocGithub":{"count":2,"skipped":1,"earliest":"2015-05-12","earliestUrl":"https://github.com/hfiref0x/CVE-2015-1701","repos":[{"name":"hfiref0x/CVE-2015-1701","url":"https://github.com/hfiref0x/CVE-2015-1701","stars":293,"created":"2015-05-12"},{"name":"Anonymous-Family/CVE-2015-1701","url":"https://github.com/Anonymous-Family/CVE-2015-1701","stars":0,"created":"2022-03-21"}]},"metasploit":[{"name":"Windows ClientCopyImage Win32k Exploit","module":"exploit/windows/local/ms15_051_client_copy_image","type":"exploit","disclosureDate":"2015-05-12","url":"https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/local/ms15_051_client_copy_image.rb"}],"first":{"date":"2015-05-12","source":"PoC-in-GitHub","url":"https://github.com/hfiref0x/CVE-2015-1701"},"provenance":"source"},"exploitRefs":["https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/37049/","https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/37367/"],"flow":[{"stage":"related","techniques":["T1068"],"provenance":"source"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2015-04-18","kind":"exploited-reported","label":"Exploitation first reported (VulnCheck KEV evidence)","url":"https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lkNJ0uQwbeC1ZTRrxdtuPLCIl7mlUreoKfSIgajnSyY/edit","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2015-04-21","kind":"published","label":"Published 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