CVE-2013-3660: Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
- Is it exploited?
Yes. CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 28 Mar 2022, 3,230 days after the CVE record was published.
- How likely is exploitation in the next 30 days?
- 39.3%
EPSS score, percentile 98.6 of all scored records
- How severe?
- 7.8 High
CVSS v3.1 base score, from CISA's enrichment of the record
- What should I do?
CISA deadline 18 Apr 2022. Apply updates per vendor instructions.
- Which versions are affected?
Not stated. The CVE record gives vendor and product as “n/a” and the version as “unspecified”.
Source: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, 2026.10.28, as of 28 Oct 2026; FIRST Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS), v2026.06.15, as of 28 Oct 2026; CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of 28 Oct 2026. About the data.
What to do
Required action, set by CISA
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
CISA due date for this action: 18 April 2022.
Advisories and patches
Linked from CISA's catalog entry
Affected products and versions
The CVE record does not name affected products or versions: vendor and product are “n/a” and the version is “unspecified”.
Source: CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of 28 Oct 2026. About the data.
About this vulnerability
The EPATHOBJ::pprFlattenRec function in win32k.sys in the kernel-mode drivers in Microsoft does not properly initialize a pointer for the next object in a certain list, which allows local users to gain privileges.
Summary: CISA's KEV catalog, as of 28 Oct 2026.
- CISA added CVE-2013-3660 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 28 Mar 2022.
- CISA's ransomware flag for this entry is "Unknown": no evidence of ransomware use in the catalog, which is not proof of none.
- The due date CISA sets for the required action is 18 Apr 2022.
- The CVE record was published on 24 May 2013, 3,230 days before it was added to KEV.
- The CVE record carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (High), taken from CISA's enrichment of the record.
- FIRST's EPSS model puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 39.3% (percentile 98.6), as of 28 Oct 2026.
- CISA's SSVC assessment in the CVE record: exploitation active, automatable no, technical impact total.
Source: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, 2026.10.28, as of 28 Oct 2026; CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of 28 Oct 2026; FIRST Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS), v2026.06.15, as of 28 Oct 2026. About the data.
Description
The EPATHOBJ::pprFlattenRec function in win32k.sys in the kernel-mode drivers in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, and Windows Server 2012 does not properly initialize a pointer for the next object in a certain list, which allows local users to obtain write access to the PATHRECORD chain, and consequently gain privileges, by triggering excessive consumption of paged memory and then making many FlattenPath function calls, aka "Win32k Read AV Vulnerability."
Source: CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of 28 Oct 2026. About the data.
Weakness
- CWE-119: Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer
CWE and CAPEC are maintained by MITRE; the entries are those named in the CVE record and the KEV entry.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 24 May 2013 | CVE record published |
| 28 Mar 2022 | Added to CISA KEV |
| 18 Apr 2022 | CISA due date for the required action |
| 22 Oct 2025 | CVE record last updated |
References
- 53435
- TA13-190A
- 25611
- 93539
- oval:org.mitre.oval:def:17360
- 20130517 Re: exploitation ideas under memory pressure
- 20130517 exploitation ideas under memory pressure
- twitter.com
- computerworld.com
- theverge.com
- reddit.com
2 more in the CVE record.
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