What it is
CVE-2018-8589 is a vulnerability affecting Microsoft Windows Server 2008 and 2 other products. An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles calls to Win32k.sys, aka "Windows Win32k...
Vulnerability report
Exploited in the wild
Confirmed confidence
In CISA KEV
CVE-2018-8589
Windows Server 2008
Microsoft / Windows Server 2008 · 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2
- Severity
- CVSS 7.8 · High
- Confidence
- Confirmed
- Exploit status
- Exploited in the wild
- EPSS
- 3.0%
- 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 Server 2008 32-bit systems service pack 2.
What should we do?
Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
Overview
Windows Server 2008
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles calls to Win32k.sys, aka "Windows Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability." This affects Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2.
Vendor
Product
Affected
Status
Microsoft
Windows Server 2008
32-bit Systems Service Pack 2
Affected
Microsoft
Windows Server 2008
32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)
Affected
Microsoft
Windows Server 2008
Itanium-Based Systems Service Pack 2
Affected
Microsoft
Windows Server 2008
x64-based Systems Service Pack 2
Affected
Microsoft
Windows Server 2008
x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)
Affected
Microsoft
Windows 7
32-bit Systems Service Pack 1
Affected
Microsoft
Windows 7
x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
Affected
Microsoft
Windows Server 2008 R2
Itanium-Based Systems Service Pack 1
Affected
Microsoft
Windows Server 2008 R2
x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
Affected
Microsoft
Windows Server 2008 R2
x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation)
Affected
- Published
- 14 Nov 2018
- Exploitation Reported
- 23 May 2022
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
Tags
microsoft
windows
cisa
CVE References
- CVE Record CVE.org · CVE Record https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-8589
- 105796 securityfocus.com · VDB Entry http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105796
- 1042140 securitytracker.com · VDB Entry http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1042140
- portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2018-8589 portal.msrc.microsoft.com · CVE Record https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CV...
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.
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 | 2022-05-23 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
No scanner integrations recorded yet.
Virtual patch status
No KEV Intelligence virtual patch is currently available. Future rules ship for ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF.
Learn about virtual patches →No detection artifacts or sensor request patterns are available for this CVE yet.
Check back as sensor telemetry and scanner integrations are updated.
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
3.0%
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
Timeline
From disclosure to observed exploitation
-
Added to CISA KEV
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
-
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-2018-8589
Free JSON includes basic KEV fields{
"cve_id": "CVE-2018-8589",
"confidence": "Confirmed",
"cvss_score": 7.8,
"cvss_estimated": false,
"epss_score": 0.03023,
"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.