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HighCISA KEVExploited in the wildPublic exploit

Win32k EPATHOBJ::pprFlattenRec local privilege escalation

IdentifiersCVE-2013-3660CWE-824

CVE-2013-3660 is a local elevation-of-privilege vulnerability in the Win32k subsystem of Microsoft Windows, specifically in the kernel-mode driver win32k.sys. The flaw is in EPATHOBJ::pprFlattenRec, which does not properly initialize a pointer to the next object in a list. Under memory-pressure conditions, a local attacker can trigger excessive paged-memory consumption and then invoke FlattenPath repeatedly to obtain write access to the PATHRECORD chain. This corruption of kernel-managed path structures can be leveraged to alter kernel memory state and elevate privileges. Affected platforms listed in the provided content are Windows XP SP2/SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, and Windows Server 2012. The issue is also referred to as the "Win32k Read AV Vulnerability."

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation allows a local user to escalate privileges by gaining kernel-level write capability over the PATHRECORD chain in win32k.sys. In practical terms, this can permit execution with elevated or SYSTEM privileges and potentially full compromise of the affected host. Because the flaw is in a kernel-mode component, impact can extend to arbitrary modification of security-relevant kernel data, disabling protections, installing persistent malware, or loading additional payloads with high integrity.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

Because this is a local privilege-escalation vulnerability, mitigation focuses on reducing opportunities for local code execution before patching. Limit interactive logon and code execution on affected hosts, enforce application allowlisting, restrict untrusted users from obtaining local execution, and reduce exposure to initial-compromise vectors that could deliver a local exploit. Use least-privilege configurations, monitor for abnormal win32k-related exploit behavior and repeated FlattenPath-style activity where telemetry exists, and isolate or retire unsupported Windows versions that cannot receive fixes.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Apply the Microsoft security update that addresses CVE-2013-3660 on all affected Windows systems. Prioritize legacy and unsupported systems identified in the content, including Windows XP, Server 2003, Vista, Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Server 2012, where applicable support and patches exist. If systems are end-of-life and cannot be patched, migrate them to supported versions of Windows. Standard remediation should include verifying patch deployment across all affected builds and removing local administrator access where not required, since this is a local privilege-escalation issue.
PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No valid public exploits. Mallory filtered out 3 candidates as fakes, detection scripts, or README-only repos.

VALID 0 / 3 TOTALView more in app

All candidate exploits were filtered out by Mallory's validation.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType
Microsoft CorporationWindows 7operating_system
Microsoft CorporationWindows 8operating_system
Microsoft CorporationWindows Rtoperating_system
Microsoft CorporationWindows Server 2003operating_system
Microsoft CorporationWindows Server 2008operating_system
Microsoft CorporationWindows Server 2012operating_system
Microsoft CorporationWindows Vistaoperating_system
Microsoft CorporationWindows Xpoperating_system

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What this page doesn’t show

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Exposure mapping

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Threat actor evidence2

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware2

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures1

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.

Win32k EPATHOBJ::pprFlattenRec local privilege escalation (CVE-2013-3660) | Mallory