CVE-2015-2363
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedwin32k.sys in the kernel-mode drivers in Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP2 and R2 SP2, Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012, and Windows RT allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka "Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability."
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceA local privilege escalation vulnerability in win32k.sys (Windows kernel-mode graphics subsystem) allows authenticated local users to gain kernel-level privileges by running a specially crafted application. The vulnerability exists in how win32k.sys handles certain graphics system calls, enabling a low-privilege user to escalate to SYSTEM-level access.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE dataall versions= r2all versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versions= r2all versionsall versionsCVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Windows versionRun 'winver' command or 'systeminfo' in Command Prompt and note the Windows version and build numberAffected if The installed Windows version is Windows 2003 (any), Windows 7 (any), Windows 8 (any), Windows 8.1 (any), Windows RT (any), Windows Server 2008 (any), Windows Server 2012 (any), or Windows Vista (any)
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Confirm win32k.sys is presentVerify the file exists at C:\Windows\System32\win32k.sysAffected if The win32k.sys graphics driver is present on the system (required for the vulnerability to exist)
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Check if MS15-061 security update is installedRun 'wmic qfe list' or check Windows Update history for security update KB3057839 (MS15-061)Affected if The system is missing security update KB3057839 (MS15-061) and the Windows version matches the affected list
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Compare win32k.sys version to patched versionRight-click win32k.sys in C:\Windows\System32\, select Properties, go to Details tab, and check File Version. Compare against the version included in MS15-061 for your Windows versionAffected if The win32k.sys file version is lower than the patched version for your specific Windows build
The system is affected if it runs any affected Windows version listed (2003, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, RT, Server 2008, Server 2012) AND lacks security update KB3057839 (MS15-061) that patches win32k.sys.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataApply Microsoft security update MS15-061 (or subsequent cumulative updates) which patches the win32k.sys vulnerability. Additionally, follow least-privilege principles and restrict local user permissions where possible to limit the attack surface.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,600.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-2363 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2015-2363 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data