March 3, 2022 · Applied Cybernetics Group
CVE-2015-1701 Microsoft Win32k
known ransomware use
Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
- Added to KEV
2022-03-03- Federal due date
2022-03-24- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Win32k
- EPSS
- 99.1th percentile (score 0.559, as of
2026-11-06) - NVD CVSS v3.1
- 7.8 (HIGH)
- Ransomware use
- Known
- Upstream
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-1701
CISA short description
An unspecified vulnerability exists in the Win32k.sys kernel-mode driver in Microsoft Windows Server that allows a local attacker to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges.
Required action
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
NVD description
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."