# CVE-2018-0815: Privilege escalation in Windows

> An attacker can exploit improper memory handling in Windows GDI to elevate privileges on affected Windows systems.

- **Severity:** High 7.0 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/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:** 14 Mar 2018
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-m6wj-p6f5-m5w3

## What is CVE-2018-0815?

CVE-2018-0815 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 7, published on 14 Mar 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) in Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1 and Windows 7 SP1 allows an elevation of privilege vulnerability due to the way objects are handled in memory, aka "Windows GDI Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability". This CVE is unique from CVE-2018-0816, and CVE-2018-0817.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-0815?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows Server 2008.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-0815?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-0815 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-0815 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-0815 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows 7

- [CVE-2015-1635](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-1635/): Microsoft HTTP.sys Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2015-2360](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-2360/): Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2014-6324](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-6324/): Microsoft Kerberos Key Distribution Center (KDC) Privilege Escalation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2014-6332](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-6332/): Microsoft Windows Object Linking & Embedding (OLE) Automation Array Remote Code Execution (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2014-4148](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-4148/): Microsoft Windows Remote Code Execution (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-0815 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-0815 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 7, published on 14 Mar 2018. 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-2018-0815 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Microsoft Windows 7. 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-2018-0815/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0815/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-0815
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-0815
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-0815

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0815/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.