{"id":"CVE-2018-8406","published":"2018-08-15T17:29:10Z","modified":"2026-06-17T02:04:47Z","title":"Microsoft DirectX Graphics Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability","vendor":"Microsoft","product":"DirectX Graphics Kernel (DXGKRNL)","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the DirectX Graphics Kernel (DXGKRNL) driver improperly handles objects in memory, aka \"DirectX Graphics Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability.\" This affects Windows Server 2016, Windows 10, Windows 10 Servers. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2018-8400, CVE-2018-8401, CVE-2018-8405.","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"The DirectX Graphics Kernel (DXGKRNL) driver in Microsoft Windows, including Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10, improperly handles objects in memory, which constitutes an elevation of privilege flaw. An attacker with a local, low-privileged account can exploit it without user interaction to gain elevated privileges on the affected system.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-23T07:08:00Z"},"cvss":{"score":7.8,"severity":"HIGH","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.03444,"percentile":0.8895,"date":"2026-10-28","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2022-03-28","dueDate":"2022-04-18","ransomware":true,"requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","notes":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-8406","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2019-02-19","exploitedFirstSeen":"2019-02-19","ransomware":true,"evidence":[{"url":"https://www.africacybersecurityconference.com/document/CrowdStrike_GTR_2019.pdf","date":"2019-02-19"},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2022-03-28"}],"evidenceTotal":2,"provenance":"source"},"exploited":true,"otx":{"pulseCount":50,"pulses":[{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae20c1db17e7057ae7d9ad1","created":"2026-10-28"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae0ba7e0e2a97ff7b218819","created":"2026-10-27"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adf68b85c3e852f3c111d18","created":"2026-10-26"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adb740e397c3ad4799aa4cd","created":"2026-10-23"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ada236fcfba2dfa730ea482","created":"2026-10-22"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad8d33a077cbb5cab524d80","created":"2026-10-21"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 21, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad78130c4d1ac2be83a8b6d","created":"2026-10-20"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 20, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad62f63c24a405a3423cc13","created":"2026-10-19"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 19, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad4dda174e5797d0bd238b7","created":"2026-10-18"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 18, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad38c22e1848f8189d1c121","created":"2026-10-17"}],"provenance":"machine"},"cwes":[{"id":"CWE-404","name":"Improper Resource Shutdown or Release"}],"references":[{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105012","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1041461","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2018-8406","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105012","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1041461","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2018-8406","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2018-8406","tags":["US Government Resource"]}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1068","name":"Exploitation for Privilege Escalation","tactics":["privilege-escalation"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: Local kernel driver flaw enables privilege escalation","mappingType":"exploitation_technique","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the DirectX Graphics Kernel","start":3,"end":79}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"}],"reports":[],"affected":[],"advisories":[],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2018-20044","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2018-20044","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2022-03-28","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[],"exploitSources":null,"exploitRefs":[],"flow":[{"stage":"exploitation","techniques":["T1068"],"provenance":"ai"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2018-08-15","kind":"published","label":"Published (NVD)","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-8406","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2019-02-19","kind":"exploited-reported","label":"Exploitation first reported (VulnCheck KEV evidence)","url":"https://www.africacybersecurityconference.com/document/CrowdStrike_GTR_2019.pdf","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2022-03-28","kind":"kev","label":"Added to CISA KEV (known ransomware use)","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2022-03-28","kind":"euvd-exploited","label":"ENISA EUVD: exploited","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2018-20044","provenance":"source"}],"speed":{"daysToPublicExploit":null,"firstExploitFrom":null,"daysToKev":1321},"priority":{"score":71.2,"factors":[{"name":"In a KEV catalog","points":35.0,"detail":"listed in CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV"},{"name":"Recent KEV listing","points":0.0,"detail":"added 2809 days ago"},{"name":"Known ransomware use","points":10.0,"detail":"CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV: Known"},{"name":"EPSS percentile","points":17.79,"detail":"percentile 0.8895"},{"name":"Named in threat reports","points":0.0,"detail":"0 reports"},{"name":"Public exploit code","points":0.0,"detail":"none found"},{"name":"Mentioned in OTX pulses","points":3.0,"detail":"50 pulses"},{"name":"CVSS severity","points":5.46,"detail":"base score 7.8"},{"name":"End-of-life product","points":0.0,"detail":"supported or unknown"}]}}