SYSTEM privilege escalation via activation-context cache poisoning
Published Jul 12, 2022 · Updated Oct 21, 2025
Privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows CSRSS allows local users to obtain SYSTEM privileges through activation-context cache poisoning. CSRSS reuses a process activation context from a shared cache whose lookup omits the application manifest path, allowing a crafted context to be substituted for a privileged process. Exploitation requires local code execution and can run attacker-controlled code as SYSTEM; Microsoft and CISA report exploitation in targeted attacks.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows CSRSS allows local users to obtain SYSTEM privileges through activation-context cache poisoning. CSRSS reuses a process activation context from a shared cache whose lookup omits the application manifest path, allowing a crafted context to be substituted for a privileged process. Exploitation requires local code execution and can run attacker-controlled code as SYSTEM; Microsoft and CISA report exploitation in targeted attacks.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-22047
- Published
- Jul 12, 2022
- Updated
- Oct 21, 2025
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows 10 Version 1507
- Classifications
- CWE-426, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 12, 2022Exploitation reportedCISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities listing
- Jul 12, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 21, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=10.0.10240.0 <10.0.10240.19360
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Reported exploitation
- CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities listingknown exploited catalog
- KNOTWEED targeted exploitationthreat actor
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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