High‑Severity Win32k Memory Corruption (CVE‑2015‑2546) Enables Local Privilege Escalation in Windows
What It Is
A kernel‑mode driver flaw in the Win32k subsystem of Microsoft Windows allows a locally‑run, crafted application to corrupt memory and elevate its privileges to SYSTEM. The vulnerability resides in the way Win32k processes certain graphical objects, enabling an attacker with basic user rights to gain full control of the host.
Exploitability
The vulnerability is rated CVSS 3.0 7.8 (High). Public proof‑of‑concept code has been released, and Microsoft issued a security advisory (MS15‑010) confirming that the flaw is exploitable in the wild when an attacker can run a malicious binary on the target system. No remote exploit is known, but the local privilege escalation path is well‑documented.
Affected Products
- Microsoft Windows client OS (Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10)
- Microsoft Windows Server (2008 R2, 2012, 2012 R2, 2016)
All editions that include the Win32k driver and have not been patched with the March 2015 security update are vulnerable.
Why It Matters for Compliance & Audit Readiness
Local privilege escalation directly undermines access‑control assurances required by frameworks such as NIST 800‑53 (AC‑2, AC‑6) and ISO 27001. Demonstrating that you have a continuous control‑monitoring process for patch management and evidence of timely remediation is essential for a defensible audit trail. Failure to remediate can be interpreted as a lapse in the vendor‑management and system‑hardening controls that auditors scrutinize.
Recommended Actions
- Verify that the March 2015 security update (MS15‑010) is installed on all Windows endpoints and servers.
- Run an authenticated vulnerability scan focused on CVE‑2015‑2546 to confirm remediation status.
- Update your asset inventory and patch‑management logs to capture evidence of remediation for audit purposes.
- Incorporate the patch‑status check into your continuous monitoring dashboards to maintain real‑time control assurance.
Source: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-2546