McAfee Defender’s Blog: NetWalker
Network Security Platform (CVE-2019-1458); Endpoint Security Platform 10.7 (CVE-2019-1458) Threat Prevention, Application Control (MAC)
2 passages name itOriginal (opens in a new tab) ↗
CVE-2019-1458 KEVRansomwarePublic exploit High · 7.8 EPSS 74.4%
Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
Microsoft · Win32k
Summary
The flaw is in Microsoft Windows' Win32k component, where improper handling of objects in memory allows an elevation of privilege. An attacker who already has local, low-privilege access to the system can exploit it without user interaction to gain higher privileges.
Official description · NVD
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory, aka 'Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.
Priority scorePatchfirst’s 0 to 100 ranking. It adds points for CISA KEV listing, ransomware use, EPSS, threat reports, public exploit code and CVSS. Every CVE page shows the breakdown. Breakdown
84.5 / 100
- Exploited
- Yes, in CISA KEV
- Reports
- 2
- Tactics
- 1/15
How an attack unfolds
Based on MITRE ATT&CKA public catalogue of the techniques attackers use, maintained by MITRE. Patchfirst uses it to describe what attackers do with a vulnerability. mappings. Select a step to see the evidence.How attackers get in
Exploitation timelineDated milestones for a CVE: when it was disclosed, when exploit code became public, when exploitation was confirmed, and when threat reports named it.
First seen exploited the day it was disclosed. Public exploit code (Metasploit) was available the same day.
- Added to CISA KEVknown ransomware use; EU database agrees+2 yrs
CISA KEV listing is when exploitation was confirmed, not necessarily the first attack.
MITRE ATT&CKA public catalogue of the techniques attackers use, maintained by MITRE. Patchfirst uses it to describe what attackers do with a vulnerability. techniques
1 TechniqueOne specific attacker behaviour in MITRE ATT&CK, such as T1190 “Exploit Public-Facing Application”. IDs with a dot, like T1059.004, are sub-techniques., grouped by TacticThe attacker’s goal at a stage of an attack in MITRE ATT&CK, such as Initial Access or Persistence. Each technique belongs to one or more tactics. in kill-chain order, 3 cited passages 1Privilege EscalationTA0004
Exploitation for Privilege Escalation T1068 Medium Confidence (technique links)How sure Patchfirst is that an ATT&CK technique applies to this CVE. High and medium links are shown by default; low ones come from early or generic mappings, text matching, or contradict the CVE’s details.
AI mapping from the description · how it is exploited
local privilege escalation via kernel component; ATT&CK ID T1068 written in the same sentence as CVE-2019-1458
elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows
Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068): CVE-2020-0796, CVE-2019-1458, CVE-2017-0213, CVE-2015-1701
Exploitation for Privilege Exploitation ((T1068) CVE-2019-1458
Lower-confidence links (2)
These come from early or generic mappings, text matching, or contradict this CVE’s details (for example a public-facing technique on a bug that needs a user to open a file). Shown for completeness.
- Command and Scripting InterpreterT1059 CTID attack_to_cve Phase 1 "Uncategorized" mapping (not staged by impact)
- Exploit Public-Facing ApplicationT1190 CTID attack_to_cve Phase 1 "Uncategorized" mapping (not staged by impact)
Detection
0 rules for this CVE · 31 general rules for its techniquesRules for this CVE
0Sigma ruleAn open, vendor-neutral detection rule for log data. Security teams convert Sigma rules into searches for their own SIEM. that reference CVE-2019-1458 directly.CVE-specific rules are not available in this build. Search SigmaHQ ↗
General rules for this CVE’s techniques
These detect the technique in general, not this specific vulnerability.
Exploitation for Privilege EscalationT106831 general rules
- Exploiting CVE-2019-1388criticalstable
- Audit CVE Eventcriticaltest
- HackTool - SysmonEOP Executioncriticaltest
- InstallerFileTakeOver LPE CVE-2021-41379 File Create Eventcriticaltest
- Possible Coin Miner CPU Priority Paramcriticaltest
- Potential CVE-2021-41379 Exploitation Attemptcriticaltest
- Potential SystemNightmare Exploitation Attemptcriticaltest
- Sudo Privilege Escalation CVE-2019-14287 - Builtincriticaltest
Sigma rules © SigmaHQ, Detection Rule License 1.1; linked, not reproduced.
What security researchers reported
Named in 2 threat reports2 reportsmcafee.com2
Reports are matched by finding the exact id CVE-2019-1458 in their text; nobody has reviewed the match. One passage is shown per report, at most 320 characters, linked to the original.
Take a “NetWalk” on the Wild Side
Mentions the CVE; no further detail.
Also mentioned in 50 community threat pulses (AlienVault OTX)
Weaker evidencePulses are indicator collections that anyone can publish. A mention is not confirmation of exploitation.
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 202628 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 202627 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 202626 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 202623 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 202622 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 202621 Oct 2026
- 44 more on OTX