CVE-2015-1701

7.8

HIGHCVSS v3.1 Base Score

90.43%

HIGH RiskEPSS (100th percentile)

KEV

NVD-CWE-noinfo

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."

Published: 4/21/2015

Modified: 4/22/2026

Back to CVE Lookup

ACTIVELY EXPLOITED IN THE WILD

This vulnerability is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

Vulnerability Name:

Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Vendor / Product:

Microsoft Win32k

Required Action:

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Due Date: 3/24/2022(OVERDUE)

Ransomware Campaign Use

Added to KEV:

3/3/2022

Notes:

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-1701

View CISA KEV Catalog

Vulnerability Summary

CVSS v3 Score

7.8HIGH

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS v2 Score

7.2

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

EPSS Score (Exploitation Probability)

90.43%HIGH Exploitation Risk

100th percentile

This vulnerability has a 90.43% probability of being exploited in the next 30 days, ranking higher than 100% of all scored CVEs.

CWE Classification

NVD-CWE-noinfo

Related Vulnerabilities

Similar SeverityHIGH

CVE-2026-41091HIGH 7.8

Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Microsoft Defender allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

5/20/2026

CVE-2026-42897HIGH 8.1

Improper neutralization of input during web page generation ('cross-site scripting') in Microsoft Exchange Server allows an unauthorized attacker to perform spoofing over a network.

5/14/2026

CVE-2026-6973HIGH 7.2

An Improper Input Validation in Ivanti EPMM before versions 12.6.1.1, 12.7.0.1, and 12.8.0.1 allows a remotely authenticated user with administrative access to achieve remote code execution.

5/7/2026

CVE-2026-44116HIGH 8.6

OpenClaw before 2026.4.22 contains a server-side request forgery vulnerability in the Zalo plugin's sendPhoto function that fails to validate outbound photo URLs through the SSRF guard. Attackers can bypass SSRF protection by providing malicious photo URLs to the Zalo Bot API, enabling unauthorized access to internal resources.

5/6/2026

CVE-2026-44115HIGH 8.8

OpenClaw before 2026.4.22 contains an exec allowlist analysis vulnerability allowing shell expansion hiding in unquoted heredoc bodies. Attackers can bypass allowlist validation by embedding shell expansion tokens in heredoc bodies to execute unapproved commands at runtime.

5/6/2026

Learn More

CVSS Calculator

View this score breakdown or calculate a custom score

Understanding CVSS Scoring

Learn how severity scores are calculated and what they mean

CVE Prioritization Guide

Best practices for deciding which vulnerabilities to address first

What is a CVE?

Essential guide to Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures

CVE vs CWE Explained

Understand how CVEs relate to underlying weakness types