CVE-2023-41772Public exploit

SYSTEM privilege escalation via unchecked process handles

Published Oct 10, 2023 · Updated Apr 14, 2025

Improper access control in Win32k in affected Microsoft Windows releases allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges. NtUserGetWindowProcessHandle opens a target process in KernelMode after a UIAccess exception, bypassing normal object access checks. A low-privileged local session that obtains UIAccess and a privileged window handle can write into the target process and execute code as SYSTEM.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability11.76%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Improper access control in Win32k in affected Microsoft Windows releases allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges. NtUserGetWindowProcessHandle opens a target process in KernelMode after a UIAccess exception, bypassing normal object access checks. A low-privileged local session that obtains UIAccess and a privileged window handle can write into the target process and execute code as SYSTEM.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-41772
Published
Oct 10, 2023
Updated
Apr 14, 2025
Vendor
Microsoft
Product
Windows Server 2019
Classifications
CWE-284, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 10, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 14, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.4974

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Microsoft · Windows Server 2019version=10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.4974
Microsoft · Windows 11 version 21H2version=10.0.0 <10.0.22000.2538
Microsoft · Windows 10 Version 21H2version=10.0.19043.0 <10.0.19041.3570
Microsoft · Windows 10 Version 22H2version=10.0.19045.0 <10.0.19045.3570
Microsoft · Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation)version=10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.4974
Microsoft · Windows 11, version 22H2version=10.0.22621.0 <10.0.22621.2428
Microsoft · Windows Server 2022version=10.0.20348.0 <10.0.20348.2031
Microsoft · Windows 10 Version 1809version=10.0.0 <10.0.17763.4974; version=10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.4974

Published CVSS scores

7.8Microsoft CorporationCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-284Improper Access Control
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo