# CVE-2008-1436: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Local attackers can escalate privileges to LocalSystem by exploiting improper SeImpersonatePrivilege management in Windows service accounts.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.0 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 21 Apr 2008
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-wr44-5q83-5vf8

## What is CVE-2008-1436?

CVE-2008-1436 is a critical vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Server 2003, published on 21 Apr 2008. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2, Vista, and Server 2003 and 2008 does not properly assign activities to the (1) NetworkService and (2) LocalService accounts, which might allow context-dependent attackers to gain privileges by using one service process to capture a resource from a second service process that has a LocalSystem privilege-escalation ability, related to improper management of the SeImpersonatePrivilege user right, as originally reported for Internet Information Services (IIS), aka Token Kidnapping.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2008-1436?

It affects 5 products.


Products: Microsoft Windows-Nt, Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Xp.

## How do I fix CVE-2008-1436?

No fix has been published for CVE-2008-1436 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2008-1436 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2008-1436 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Microsoft Windows - 'SeImpersonatePrivilege' Local Privilege Escalation (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows Server 2003

- [CVE-2008-3008](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-3008/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2008-1435](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-1435/): Code injection in n/a (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2008-1087](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-1087/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2006-0005](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-0005/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2008-1456](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-1456/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2008-1436 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2008-1436 is a critical vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Server 2003, published on 21 Apr 2008. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2008-1436 exists.

Affected product: Microsoft Windows Server 2003. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-1436/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-1436/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2008-1436
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2008-1436
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2008-1436

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-1436/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.