Actively exploited in the wild
Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
Microsoft - Win32k · Listed in the CISA KEV since 2021-11-03. This indicates confirmed attacks in production environments.
Required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
CVE-2020-1054
HighCVSS 7.0KEVExploitation Probability (EPSS)
Very high risk99th percentile - higher than 99% of all known CVEs
Summary
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows when the Windows kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode, install programs, view/change/delete data, or create new accounts with full user rights.
Risk Assessment
Exploitation could lead to full system compromise with administrative privileges. However, the attacker must first log on to the system.
Recommendation
It is recommended to immediately install the Windows update that corrects how the kernel-mode driver handles objects in memory.
Original NVD description (English source)
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows when the Windows kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability and take control of an affected system. The update addresses this vulnerability by correcting how the Windows kernel-mode driver handles objects in memory.