# CVE-2019-1064: Microsoft Windows AppX Deployment Service (AppXSVC) Privilege Escalation

> An attacker with local access can exploit improper hard link handling in Windows AppX Deployment Service to gain elevated privileges and control the system.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 15 Mar 2022 (CISA KEV), used in ransomware
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 12 Jun 2019
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-7q5j-w2g3-7f8v

## What is CVE-2019-1064?

CVE-2019-1064 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10 1607, published on 12 Jun 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Windows AppX Deployment Service (AppXSVC) improperly handles hard links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context. An attacker could then install programs; view, change or delete data.
To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability and take control of an affected system.
The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Windows AppX Deployment Service handles hard links.

Weakness: CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-1064?

It affects 11 products.


Products: Microsoft Windows 10 1607, Microsoft Windows 10 1703, Microsoft Windows 10 1709, Microsoft Windows 10 1803, Microsoft Windows 10 1809, Microsoft Windows 10 1903, Microsoft Windows Server 1709, Microsoft Windows Server 1803, Microsoft Windows Server 1903, Microsoft Windows Server 2016, Microsoft Windows Server 2019.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-1064?

No fix has been published for CVE-2019-1064 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 5 Apr 2022.

## Is CVE-2019-1064 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2019-1064 in the wild since at least 15 Mar 2022, including in ransomware campaigns.

Public exploit code:

- CVE-2019-1064 Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (github_poc): https://github.com/RythmStick/CVE-2019-1064
- CVE-2019-1064 Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (github_poc): https://github.com/0x00-0x00/CVE-2019-1064
- CVE-2019-1064 - AppXSVC Local Privilege Escalation (github_poc): https://github.com/attackgithub/CVE-2019-1064

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows 10 1607

- [CVE-2026-33824](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-33824/): Microsoft Internet Key Exchange (IKE) Service Extensions Double Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-21510](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-21510/): Microsoft Windows Shell Protection Mechanism Failure (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-21513](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-21513/): Microsoft MSHTML Framework Protection Mechanism Failure (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-32049](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-32049/): Microsoft Windows Defender SmartScreen Security Feature Bypass (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-29360](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-29360/): Microsoft Streaming Service Untrusted Pointer Dereference (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-1064 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-1064 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10 1607, published on 12 Jun 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2019-1064 in the wild since at least 15 Mar 2022, including in ransomware campaigns.

Affected product: Microsoft Windows 10 1607. 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-2019-1064/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1064/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-1064
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-1064
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-1064

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1064/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.