CVE-2015-6175
CVE-2015-6175 is a security flaw in Microsoft Windows, Microsoft’s operating system for PCs and servers. Someone who already has a foothold can use Microsoft Windows to take full control of the machine. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 25 May 2022.[1]
Microsoft Windows is in things households have, such as phones, computers, browsers and everyday apps, so the fix matters at home as much as at work. Microsoft has published a fix or advice.
Description
CISA calls it a kernel privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows. In its words: “The kernel in Microsoft Windows contains a vulnerability that allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application.”[1]
The CVE record adds: “The kernel in Microsoft Windows 10 Gold allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka "Windows Kernel Memory Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability."”[2]
The underlying weakness is permissions and access control (CWE-264), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.
It scores 7.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it high, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; Microsoft’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as Microsoft Windows.
Every device with Microsoft Windows needs the update.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 25 May 2022, 2,359 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 15 Jun 2022 to fix it.[1]
FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 5%. That’s in the top 8% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as not automatable: each attack takes some work.
CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.
Fix
Microsoft has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions.”[1]
- Update Microsoft Windows now.On Windows: Settings, Windows Update, Check for updates, then restart. Office updates come the same way, or from any Office app: File, Account, Update Options. Then turn on automatic updates, so the next fix arrives on its own.
- If there’s no update, stop using it.CISA’s advice when a flaw being used in attacks has no fix is to stop using the product until it does.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 7.8.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 5%.[4] |
See also
Other Microsoft Windows flaws
- CVE-2026-96951: command injection ·
- CVE-2026-85880: heap-based buffer overflow ·
- CVE-2026-81963: link following ·
- CVE-2008-4250: buffer overflow ·
- CVE-2026-32202: protection mechanism failure ·
- CVE-2025-60710: link following ·
Other permissions and access control flaws
- CVE-2015-3246, Red Hat Libuser: race condition ·
- CVE-2013-0643, Adobe Flash Player: incorrect default permissions ·
- CVE-2015-0310, Adobe Flash Player: ASLR bypass ·
- CVE-2013-3993, IBM InfoSphere BigInsights: invalid input ·
- CVE-2013-0422, Oracle Java Runtime Environment (JRE): JRE remote code execution ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2019-3010, Oracle Solaris: privilege escalation ·
- CVE-2016-7256, Microsoft Windows: open type font remote code execution ·
- CVE-2016-3393, Microsoft Windows: graphics device interface (GDI) remote code execution ·
- CVE-2016-1010, Adobe Flash Player and AIR: integer overflow ·
- CVE-2016-0984, Adobe Flash Player and AIR: use-after-free ·
Every Microsoft flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in May 2022
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Microsoft Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 25 May 2022.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2015-6175 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 9 Dec 2015.
- ^ Microsoft. Advisories and fixes: docs.microsoft.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.053, percentile 92.6, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2015-6175”. The official CVE record.
This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.