CVE-2023-36874
Microsoft Windows 10 1809 ≤ 10.0.17763.4645
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2023-36874 is a high-severity Link Following (CWE-59) vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10 1809. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Path Interception (T1034); ranked in the top 1% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
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-2023-36874 is an elevation-of-privilege vulnerability in the Windows Error Reporting Service. The flaw, assigned CWE-59, permits a local attacker to perform unauthorized file operations that lead to privilege escalation on affected Windows systems. It carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 reflecting local attack vector, low complexity, and low privileges required.
An authenticated local user without additional user interaction can exploit the service to obtain full administrative control over the host, resulting in complete confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. Public exploit code targeting the issue has been published, confirming the attack path is practical on unpatched systems.
Microsoft’s security update guide addresses the vulnerability and supplies patches that resolve the underlying path-handling weakness. CISA has added CVE-2023-36874 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, indicating confirmed in-the-wild use and requiring federal agencies to apply mitigations within prescribed timelines.
The EPSS score has reached a peak of 0.7156 with a current value of 0.7022, reflecting sustained exploitation interest after disclosure.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-40794
Vulnerability Data
Windows Error Reporting Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
- CWE(s)
- KEV Date Added
- 11 July 2023
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.