CVE-2024-20686

Local SYSTEM escalation via improperly locked memory

Published Jan 9, 2024 · Updated May 3, 2025

Elevation of privilege in Microsoft Win32k before 10.0.25398.643 allows local users on Windows Server 2022 23H2 to gain SYSTEM privileges. Microsoft maps the flaw to sensitive data stored in improperly locked memory but has not disclosed the affected Win32k routine or its incorrect operation. Exploitation requires existing low-privileged local access and grants SYSTEM-level control, affecting confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.67%
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

Elevation of privilege in Microsoft Win32k before 10.0.25398.643 allows local users on Windows Server 2022 23H2 to gain SYSTEM privileges. Microsoft maps the flaw to sensitive data stored in improperly locked memory but has not disclosed the affected Win32k routine or its incorrect operation. Exploitation requires existing low-privileged local access and grants SYSTEM-level control, affecting confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-20686
Published
Jan 9, 2024
Updated
May 3, 2025
Vendor
Microsoft
Product
Windows Server 2022, 23H2 Edition (Server Core installation)
Classifications
CWE-591, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 9, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 3, 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=10.0.25398.0 <10.0.25398.643

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Microsoft · Windows Server 2022, 23H2 Edition (Server Core installation)version=10.0.25398.0 <10.0.25398.643

Published CVSS scores

7.8MicrosoftCVSS: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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-591Sensitive Data Storage in Improperly Locked Memory
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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.

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