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CVE-2018-8611

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-2018-8611 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 24 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: “A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory.”[1]

The CVE record adds: “An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory, aka "Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability." This affects Windows 7, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2012, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 10, Windows 10 Servers.”[2]

The underlying weakness is CWE-404, 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 24 May 2022, 1,259 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 14 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 4%. That’s in the top 10% 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 7.8.[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 4%.[4]

See also

Other Microsoft Windows flaws

Added the same day

  • CVE-2018-19953, QNAP Network Attached Storage (NAS): NAS file station cross-site scripting ·
  • CVE-2018-19949, QNAP Network Attached Storage (NAS): NAS file station command injection ·
  • CVE-2018-19943, QNAP Network Attached Storage (NAS): NAS file station cross-site scripting ·
  • CVE-2017-8543, Microsoft Windows: search remote code execution ·
  • CVE-2017-8291, Artifex Ghostscript: type confusion ·

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

References

  1. ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Microsoft Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 24 May 2022.
  2. ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2018-8611 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 12 Dec 2018.
  3. ^ Microsoft. Advisories and fixes: portal.msrc.microsoft.com.
  4. ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.042, percentile 91.0, 31 Oct 2026.
  5. CVE Program. “CVE-2018-8611”. 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.