Threats / Microsoft / CVE-2019-0797
CVE-2019-0797
· EUVD no mirror located
· GCVE no mirror located
Verified 2026-06-22
Microsoft Win32k vulnerability
Microsoft Win32k privilege escalation vulnerability caused by improper memory object handling, enabling kernel-mode code execution. Actively exploited in the wild.
Verdict
Today item — known-exploited.
A kernel privilege escalation in Win32k that has demonstrated real-world exploitation. The low EPSS score reflects limited attack surface requirements, but active wild exploitation confirms practical threat despite narrow conditions.
01
Is it exploitable?
— the evidence, ranked above the scoreReported exploitation
6 independent public reports of in-the-wild exploitation are cataloged.Distinct reporting sources (vendor, incident response, government); open them for the underlying claims.
Exploited in the wild
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2021-11-03).
Probability (EPSS)
EPSS 0.0189 — modeled likelihood of exploitation activity.EPSS is a daily-changing model output — open the source for today's value.
Severity / affected
Affected: Microsoft, Win32k. Confirm exact fixed builds in the vendor advisory.
02
Who’s exploiting it?
— attribution turns risk into urgencyAttribution not established
No confirmed (advisory-backed) threat-actor attribution is established for this record. Absence of a named actor is not absence of compromise — see Coverage & confidence.
03
Why it matters
— the attack path, told twice: adversary, then board1
Front door — unauthenticated access narrative 1
Attacker
I craft a malicious input or trigger a specific code path in Win32k to cause improper memory object handling.
Business
An attacker gains kernel-level code execution on affected Windows systems, bypassing user-mode restrictions and security boundaries.
2
Keys to the kingdom — privilege/identity takeover narrative 2
Attacker
I execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges to install persistent malware, disable security controls, or pivot to other systems.
Business
Compromised systems face complete loss of integrity; attackers can exfiltrate data, deploy ransomware, or establish long-term persistence undetectable by endpoint tools.
04
What to do
— defensible action- Remediate per the vendor advisory — confirm the fixed build for your version and verify exposure.1
Say it to the boardA vulnerability with this evidence profile is a defensible budget line, not a backlog ticket — fund the change against the proof above.
05