What it is
CVE-2018-8440 is a vulnerability affecting Microsoft Windows 7 and 9 other products. An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles calls to Advanced Local Procedure Call (ALPC), aka...
Vulnerability report
Exploited in the wild
Confirmed confidence
In CISA KEV
CVE-2018-8440
Windows 7
Microsoft / Windows 7 · 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1
- Severity
- CVSS 7.8 · High
- Confidence
- Confirmed
- Exploit status
- Exploited in the wild
- EPSS
- 18.4%
- First observed
- —
- Last observed
- —
Decision summary
What security teams need to know first
Direct answers before the deeper technical record.
Is it exploited?
Yes. KEV Intelligence tracks this CVE as a known exploited vulnerability. Confidence is confirmed.
Who is affected?
Microsoft / Windows 7 32-bit systems service pack 1.
What should we do?
Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
Overview
Windows 7
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles calls to Advanced Local Procedure Call (ALPC), aka "Windows ALPC Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability." This affects Windows 7, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2012, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 10, Windows 10 Servers.
Vendor
Product
Affected
Status
Microsoft
Windows 10
x64-based Systems
Affected
Microsoft
Windows 10 Servers
version 1709 (Server Core Installation)
Affected
Microsoft
Windows 10 Servers
version 1803 (Server Core Installation)
Affected
- Published
- 13 Sep 2018
- Exploitation Reported
- 28 Mar 2022
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
Tags
microsoft
ransomware
malware
metasploit
cisa
windows
CVE References
- CVE Record CVE.org · CVE Record https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-8440
- 1041578 securitytracker.com · VDB Entry http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1041578
- 105153 securityfocus.com · VDB Entry http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105153
- portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2018-8440 portal.msrc.microsoft.com · CVE Record https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CV...
- blog.0patch.com/2018/09/comparing-our-micropatch-with.html blog.0patch.com · CVE Record https://blog.0patch.com/2018/09/comparing-our-micropatch-with.html
- blog.0patch.com/2018/08/how-we-micropatched-publicly-dropped... blog.0patch.com · CVE Record https://blog.0patch.com/2018/08/how-we-micropatched-publicly-dropped....
Exploitation evidence
Why KEV Intelligence marks this CVE as exploited
Third-party attestation and first-party sensor observation are shown separately so teams can judge the evidence chain.
Exploited in the wild
CISA
Independent exploitation attestation added to the KEV Intelligence record.
Used in malware
CISA
Malware families have been linked to exploitation of this CVE.
Proof of concept available
GitHub
Public scanner or PoC coverage increases practical exploitability.
Known exploited vulnerability sources
Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the KEV Intelligence Pro API.
Learn about Pro API access| Source | Added |
|---|---|
| CISA First | 2022-03-28 00:00 UTC |
Detection
Operational artifacts and observed signals
Make the evidence actionable in scanner, SOC, and edge-control workflows.
Observed signals
- Request targets
- 0
- User-Agents
- 0
Raw values available in Pro and Enterprise.
Scanner coverage
Metasploit template detected 28 Apr 2025.
View Metasploit template (opens in new tab)Virtual patch status
No KEV Intelligence virtual patch is currently available. Future rules ship for ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF.
Learn about virtual patches →Scanner Artifacts
Scanner and exploit-framework references linked to this CVE.
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit | https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/local/alpc_taskscheduler.rb | 28 Apr 2025 |
Risk and context
Severity, weaknesses, and research context
CVSS v3.1
7.8
High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS
18.4%
All CVSS Scores
CVSS v3.1
7.8
High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS v2.0
7.2
High
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Potential Proof of Concepts
These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.
Timeline
From disclosure to observed exploitation
-
Metasploit module available
Exploit module available
-
Public PoC available
Public proof-of-concept code published
-
Added to CISA KEV
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
-
First public exploitation report
Exploit observed in malware
-
CVE published
Vulnerability disclosed publicly
-
CVE ID reserved
Identifier reserved by the CNA
Pro API
Automate this intelligence
Confidence, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.
- Evidence confidence and provenance
- First-party sensor telemetry
- PoC and scanner references
- Affected versions and enrichment
- Automation-ready JSON delivery
GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2018-8440
Free JSON includes basic KEV fields{
"cve_id": "CVE-2018-8440",
"confidence": "Confirmed",
"cvss_score": 7.8,
"cvss_estimated": false,
"epss_score": 0.18386,
"exploit_status": {
"exploited_in_the_wild": true,
"active_exploitation_observed": false
},
"sensor_telemetry": { "attempts": 0, "sensors": 0 }
}Early warning alerts
Get alerts on high-impact exploitation
Receive curator-selected alerts when exploitation activity warrants attention. Each alert includes the evidence and context needed to decide what requires attention now.