# CVE-2017-8720: Privilege escalation in Windows graphics component

> An attacker can exploit a Win32k memory handling flaw in Windows to elevate privileges to system level.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **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:** 13 Sep 2017
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-vcfr-6j8g-wxh8

## What is CVE-2017-8720?

CVE-2017-8720 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10, published on 13 Sep 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Microsoft Windows graphics component on Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, 1607, and 1703, and Windows Server 2016 allows an elevation of privilege vulnerability when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory, aka "Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability". This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2017-8675.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-8720?

It affects 7 products.


Products: Microsoft Windows 10, Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows 8.1, Microsoft Windows Rt 8.1, Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Microsoft Windows Server 2012, Microsoft Windows Server 2016.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-8720?

No fix has been published for CVE-2017-8720 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2017-8720 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-8720 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows 10

- [CVE-2015-2426](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-2426/): Microsoft Windows Adobe Type Manager Library Remote Code Execution (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2015-1769](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-1769/): Microsoft Windows Mount Manager Privilege Escalation (medium 6.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-1467](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-1467/): Windows Hard Link Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2021-26424](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-26424/): Windows TCP/IP Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2021-28476](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-28476/): Windows Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (critical 9.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-8720 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-8720 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10, published on 13 Sep 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-8720 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Microsoft Windows 10. 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-2017-8720/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-8720/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-8720
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-8720
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-8720

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-8720/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.