Vulnerability Monitor

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CVE-2015-1701

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."

Security Impact Summary

This vulnerability carries a HIGH severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8, requiring local system access to exploit with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction requiring only low-level privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), integrity (unauthorized modifications), and availability (service disruption) for affected systems. Impacting 4 products from microsoft, from microsoft, from microsoft and 1 other, organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.

Historical Context

First disclosed in 2015, this vulnerability was reported during a period defined by widespread IoT adoption challenges, mobile security concerns, and the emergence of advanced persistent threat (APT) techniques. Contemporary mitigation strategies focused on secure development practices and third-party component vetting.

Published

2015-04-21T10:59:00.073

Last Modified

2025-10-22T00:15:40.733

Status

Deferred

Source

[email protected]

Severity

CVSSv3.1: 7.8 (HIGH)

CVSSv2 Vector

AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Access Vector: LOCAL
Access Complexity: LOW
Authentication: NONE
Confidentiality Impact: COMPLETE
Integrity Impact: COMPLETE
Availability Impact: COMPLETE

Exploitability Score

3.9

Impact Score

10.0

Weaknesses

Type: Primary
NVD-CWE-noinfo

Affected Vendors & Products

Type	Vendor	Product	Version/Range	Vulnerable?
Operating System	microsoft	windows_2003_server	-	Yes
Operating System	microsoft	windows_2003_server	r2	Yes
Operating System	microsoft	windows_7	-	Yes
Operating System	microsoft	windows_server_2008	-	Yes
Operating System	microsoft	windows_vista	-	Yes

References

http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/May/34 Mailing List, Third Party Advisory ([email protected])
http://twitter.com/symantec/statuses/590208710527549440 Press/Media Coverage ([email protected])
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/74245 Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry ([email protected])
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1032155 Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry ([email protected])
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2015/ms15-051 Patch, Vendor Advisory ([email protected])
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/37049/ Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry ([email protected])
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/37367/ Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry ([email protected])
https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2015/04/probable_apt28_useo.html Third Party Advisory ([email protected])
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/May/34 Mailing List, Third Party Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://twitter.com/symantec/statuses/590208710527549440 Press/Media Coverage (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/74245 Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1032155 Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2015/ms15-051 Patch, Vendor Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/37049/ Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/37367/ Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2015/04/probable_apt28_useo.html Third Party Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2015-1701 (134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0)

How SecUtils Interprets This CVE

SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For microsoft's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.