dbcve.org
Windows 10Operating system · Microsoft

CVE-2022-26914

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-04-15
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

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 · unedited
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 · moderate confidence

Win32k Elevation of Privilege vulnerability in Windows kernel graphics subsystem allowing local attackers to gain elevated SYSTEM-level privileges. The vulnerability is triggered through the win32k.sys driver and is rated HIGH due to the complete loss of confidentiality and integrity at the kernel level.

MitigationApply Microsoft security updates for CVE-2022-26914; prioritize patching on domain controllers and systems with privileged user 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 data
Windows 10Operating system
Affected:= 20h2= 21h1= 21h2= 1809= 1909
Windows 11Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows Server 2016Operating system
Affected:= 20h2
Windows Server 2019Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows Server 2022Operating system
Affected:all versions

CVSS 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
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check Windows version and build number
    Run 'winver' from command prompt or execute 'systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"' to display the installed Windows version and build number
    Affected if The displayed version matches Windows 10 (builds 1809, 1909, 20H2, 21H1, 21H2), Windows 11 any version, Windows Server 2016 (20H2), Windows Server 2019 any version, or Windows Server 2022 any version
  2. Confirm win32k.sys is present
    Check that the file C:\Windows\System32\win32k.sys exists on the system - this is the kernel-mode driver through which the vulnerability is triggered
    Affected if The file exists (it is present by default in all supported Windows versions)
  3. Identify Windows 10 specific build
    Run 'winver' or check System Properties to see the exact build version (such as 1809, 1909, 20H2, 21H1, or 21H2) - these correspond to specific Windows 10 feature updates
    Affected if Running Windows 10 build 1809, 1909, 20H2, 21H1, or 21H2 indicates the system falls within the affected version range
  4. Identify Windows Server version
    Run 'systeminfo' or check Server Manager to determine if the system is running Windows Server 2016, 2019, or 2022
    Affected if Running any version of Windows Server 2019 or Windows Server 2022, or Windows Server 2016 build 20H2, places the system within affected versions

A system is affected if it runs any version of Windows 11, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022, or Windows 10/Server 2016 matching the specific builds (1809, 1909, 20H2, 21H1, 21H2) listed in the affected products, and has the win32k.sys driver present (default in all Windows installations).

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply Microsoft security updates for CVE-2022-26914; prioritize patching on domain controllers and systems with privileged user access.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Apply the April 2022 Windows Security Updates (KB5012599 for Windows 11, KB5012592 for Windows 10 21h2, KB5012591 for Windows 10 21h1, KB5012595 for Windows 10 20h2, KB5012602 for Windows 10 1809, KB5012627 for Windows Server 2022, KB5012599 for Windows Server 2019)

  1. Open Windows Update on the affected system
  2. Check for and install the April 2022 Security Updates (or later)
  3. Verify the update was successfully installed by checking the installed updates list
  4. Restart the system if prompted to complete the installation

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Windows 10 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
30.0 hours of engineering $5,200
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $8,320.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-26914 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-26914 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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