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CVE-2017-0213

From Exploited flaws, HARD’s guide to the flaws being used in attacks · Checked
This article is about a flaw in Microsoft Windows. For every flaw being used in attacks, see Exploited flaws; for Microsoft’s, see Microsoft flaws being used in attacks.

CVE-2017-0213 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 28 Mar 2022, and says ransomware gangs have used it.[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 privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows. In its words: “Microsoft Windows COM Aggregate Marshaler allows for privilege escalation when an attacker runs a specially crafted application.”[1]

The CVE record adds: “Windows COM Aggregate Marshaler in Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, 1607, and 1703, and Windows Server 2016 allows an elevation privilege vulnerability when an attacker runs a specially crafted application, aka "Windows COM Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability". This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2017-0214.”[2]

It scores 7.3 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 28 Mar 2022, 1,781 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 18 Apr 2022 to fix it.[1] CISA says ransomware gangs have used it.

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 84%. That’s in the top 1% 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]

  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.
  2. 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

DateEvent
The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 7.3.[2]
CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks, noting that ransomware gangs have used it.[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 84%.[4]

See also

Other Microsoft Windows flaws

Similar flaws

  • CVE-2026-111357, Ivanti Connect Secure: missing authentication for critical function ·
  • CVE-2026-97229, GitLab Community Edition and Enterprise Edition: integer overflow or wraparound ·
  • CVE-2026-76418, Cisco Secure Firewall ASA Software and Cisco Secure FTD Software: unchecked return value to NULL pointer dereference ·
  • CVE-2026-48356, Adobe Commerce and Magento: unrestricted upload of file with dangerous type ·
  • CVE-2026-111497, Google Brotli: unchecked return value ·

Added the same day

  • CVE-2022-1096, Chrome and other Chromium browsers: type confusion ·
  • CVE-2022-0543, Redis Debian-specific Redis Servers: debian-specific redis server lua sandbox escape ·
  • CVE-2021-38646, Microsoft Office: access connectivity engine remote code execution ·
  • CVE-2021-34486, Microsoft Windows: event tracing privilege escalation ·
  • CVE-2021-26085, Atlassian Confluence Server: pre-authorization arbitrary file read ·

Every Microsoft flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in March 2022

References

  1. ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Microsoft Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 28 Mar 2022.
  2. ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2017-0213 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 12 May 2017.
  3. ^ Microsoft. Advisories and fixes: portal.msrc.microsoft.com.
  4. ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.843, percentile 99.7, 31 Oct 2026.
  5. CVE Program. “CVE-2017-0213”. 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.