How severe is CVE-2018-8405?

CVE-2018-8405 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH). EPSS estimates a 3.4% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

CVE-2018-8405: Microsoft DirectX Graphics Kernel Privilege Escalation

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

Microsoft DirectX Graphics Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability is confirmed as actively exploited and is listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

Added to KEV

2022-03-28

Remediation due

2022-04-18

Ransomware

Known use

Required action
Apply updates per vendor instructions.

CISA notes
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-8405

Description

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 2012 R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows Server 2016, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows 10 Servers. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2018-8400, CVE-2018-8401, CVE-2018-8406.

Severity

CVSS 3.1 · CISA7.8 HIGH

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

SSVC · CISA-ADP

Exploitationactive

Automatableno

Technical impacttotal

Exploitation Context

as of October 17, 2026

All KEV statistics→

CISA added CVE-2018-8405 to the KEV catalog 1,321 days after its CVE record was published.
It is one of 391 Microsoft entries in the CISA KEV catalog, and one of 166 added in 2022.
Its current EPSS score (3.4%) is higher than that of 14% of CISA KEV entries.

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Affected versions
Microsoft	Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2	(Server Core installation)
Microsoft	Microsoft Windows RT 8.1	Windows RT 8.1
Microsoft	Microsoft Windows Server 2016	(Server Core installation)
Microsoft	Microsoft Windows 8.1	32-bit systems x64-based systems
Microsoft	Microsoft Windows 10	32-bit Systems Version 1607 for 32-bit Systems Version 1607 for x64-based Systems Version 1703 for 32-bit Systems Version 1703 for x64-based Systems Version 1709 for 32-bit Systems Version 1709 for x64-based Systems Version 1803 for 32-bit Systems Version 1803 for x64-based Systems x64-based Systems
Microsoft	Microsoft Windows 10 Servers	version 1709 (Server Core Installation) version 1803 (Server Core Installation)

References

3 Links

Vulnerability databases

Other references

https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2018-8405

Record Details

Published

2018-08-15

Last updated

2025-10-21

Assigner (CNA)

microsoft

Credited to

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CVE record data © The MITRE Corporation, used under the CVE Terms of Use. Exploited-in-the-wild data from the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (CC0). Exploit prediction scores by FIRST EPSS (first.org/epss). This site is not endorsed or certified by MITRE, NVD, CISA, or FIRST.