CVE-2018-8405
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the DirectX Graphics Kernel (DXGKRNL) driver improperly handles objects in memory, aka…
- 7.8HighCVSS base score
- 3.4%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 11% of all CVEs
- YesKnown exploitedin CISA's KEV since 28 Mar 2022
- YesPublic exploitsa reference or SSVC says so
Description
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the DirectX Graphics Kernel (DXGKRNL) driver improperly handles objects in memory, aka "DirectX Graphics Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability." This affects Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows Server 2016, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows 10 Servers. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2018-8400, CVE-2018-8401, CVE-2018-8406.
Exploited in the wild
CISA lists this vulnerability in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog as Microsoft DirectX Graphics Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability.
- Added
- 28 Mar 2022
- Fix due (US federal)
- 18 Apr 2022
- Used by ransomware
- Known
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
ENISA's EU Vulnerability Database lists it as exploited, from CISA's KEV, since 28 Mar 2022.
Public exploit
An exploit or proof of concept is public: anyone can try it against an unpatched system. CISA's SSVC rates its exploitation: it is being exploited.
Timeline
ID reserved
By microsoft
- 5 months later
· 5 months later
Published
- 4 years later
· 4 years later
Added to CISA KEV
Known exploited, also by ransomware
- 4 years later
· 4 years later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| CISA-ADPADP (enrichment) | 3.1 | High7.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Analyzed | 3.1 | High7.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 3.4% · top 11% of all CVEs (9 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: active · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.8.
Affected products
Microsoft · Windows Server 2012 R2
- affected (Server Core installation)
- affected Windows RT 8.1
Microsoft · Windows Server 2016
- affected (Server Core installation)
- affected 32-bit systems
- affected x64-based systems
- affected 32-bit Systems
- affected Version 1607 for 32-bit Systems
- affected Version 1607 for x64-based Systems
- affected Version 1703 for 32-bit Systems
- affected Version 1703 for x64-based Systems
- affected Version 1709 for 32-bit Systems
- affected Version 1709 for x64-based Systems
- affected Version 1803 for 32-bit Systems
- affected Version 1803 for x64-based Systems
- affected x64-based Systems
Microsoft · Windows 10 Servers
- affected version 1709 (Server Core Installation)
- affected version 1803 (Server Core Installation)
References
4
- 105011 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDx_transferred
- 1041461 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_SECTRACKx_transferred
- https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2018-8405 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2018-8405 (opens in a new tab)government-resource
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- CISA KEV catalog (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2018-20043 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2018-8405)Record last updated .