CVE-2019-1064
Microsoft Windows 10 1709
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2019-1064 is a high-severity Link Following (CWE-59) vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10 1709. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Path Interception (T1034); ranked in the top 7% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2019-1064 is an elevation-of-privilege vulnerability in the Windows AppX Deployment Service (AppXSVC) that stems from improper handling of hard links, tracked under CWE-59. The flaw resides in a core Windows component responsible for deploying and managing packaged applications and affects multiple versions of Windows that include this service.
An authenticated local attacker can exploit the issue by logging on to a vulnerable system and executing a specially crafted application. Successful exploitation allows the attacker to run processes in an elevated context, thereby installing programs and viewing, modifying, or deleting data with privileges higher than those of the logged-on user.
Microsoft security updates address the vulnerability by correcting AppXSVC handling of hard links. Corresponding advisories are published on the Microsoft Security Response Center site and the Microsoft Security Update Guide.
The flaw appears in CISA's catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities, indicating confirmed in-the-wild use.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2019-9646
Vulnerability Data
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Windows AppX Deployment Service (AppXSVC) improperly handles hard links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context. An attacker could then install programs; view, change or delete…
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data. 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 security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Windows AppX Deployment Service handles hard links.
- CWE(s)
- KEV Date Added
- 15 March 2022
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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V15.4.2
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure SDLC practices directly require code to validate paths and avoid unsafe link following.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing can detect link-following flaws before release.
Secure SDLC practices can mandate link-resolution checks and canonicalization before file access.
Application security requirements can explicitly require safe handling of symbolic links and path traversal.
Secure architecture principles include input validation and safe file-access design patterns.
Secure coding standards directly address canonicalization and symlink attacks during implementation.
Access-control rules can limit which files are reachable, reducing exposure to malicious links.