CVE-2019-1458
Published: 10 December 2019
Summary
CVE-2019-1458 is a high-severity an unspecified weakness vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Server 2008. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).
Operationally, ranked in the top 0.3% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 SI-16 (Memory Protection) and SI-2 (Flaw Remediation).
Deeper analysis
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. This flaw, tracked as CVE-2019-1458 and also known as the Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability, affects the Win32k kernel-mode driver and carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 reflecting local attack vector, low complexity, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
A local attacker with existing low-privileged access can exploit the issue without user interaction to escalate privileges to SYSTEM level, enabling full control over the affected system. The vulnerability stems from improper memory object handling that can be triggered through crafted Win32k interactions.
Microsoft's security advisory at https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2019-1458 provides official guidance, while public exploit code and proof-of-concept reports have appeared on PacketStorm describing techniques such as WizardOpium and uninitialized variable local privilege escalation targeting this CVE.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2019-10015
Vulnerability details
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory, aka 'Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.
- CWE(s)
- KEV Date Added
- 10 January 2022
Related Threats
No named actor attribution yet. ATT&CK technique mapping in progress for this CVE.
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Directly enforces memory protections that would block the improper Win32k kernel object handling exploited for privilege escalation.
Requires timely application of patches that remediate the specific Win32k memory-handling flaw in CVE-2019-1458.
Limits initial user privileges so that successful exploitation cannot immediately yield SYSTEM-level access.