How severe is CVE-2015-1701?

High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 7.8 out of 10.

Is CVE-2015-1701 known to be exploited?

Yes. CVE-2015-1701 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2022-03-03), indicating it is being actively exploited. 76 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed.

Vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 2003 Server

CVE-2015-1701

Win32k.sys in the kernel-mode drivers in Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP2, Vista SP2, and Server 2008 SP2 allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, as exploited in the wild in April 2015, aka "Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability."

Published 2015-04-21 · last modified 2026-08-14.

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 7.8 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.

EPSS exploit prediction

EPSS: 0.559 (99.0th percentile), scored 2026-10-18.

High probability of exploitation in the next 30 days — patch promptly. 99th percentile — 99.0% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.

EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.559 · newest: 0.559 · change: 0.000

Affected products

Microsoft Windows 2003 Server — versions r2
Microsoft Windows 7
Microsoft Windows Server 2008
Microsoft Windows Vista

CISA KEV (Known Exploited Vulnerabilities)

This CVE is on the CISA KEV catalog, added on 2022-03-03. CISA KEV inclusion means CISA has confirmed in-the-wild exploitation; US federal agencies are required to remediate within a published due date.

BOD 22-01 due date: 2022-03-24.

Required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Known ransomware campaign use: yes.

Public proof-of-concept exploits

References

twitter.com/symantec/statuses/590208710527549440 (Press/Media Coverage)
www.exploit-db.com/exploits/37049/ (Exploit, VDB Entry, Third Party Advisory, exploit)
www.securityfocus.com/bid/74245 (VDB Entry, Third Party Advisory, vdb-entry, Broken Link)
docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2015/ms15-051 (vendor-advisory, Patch, Vendor Advisory)
www.exploit-db.com/exploits/37367/ (Exploit, VDB Entry, Third Party Advisory, exploit)
www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2015/04/probable_apt28_useo.html (Third Party Advisory)
www.securitytracker.com/id/1032155 (VDB Entry, Third Party Advisory, vdb-entry, Broken Link)
seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/May/34 (mailing-list, Mailing List, Third Party Advisory, Broken Link)
134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 (US Government Resource)

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2015-1701?: CVE-2015-1701 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 2003 Server. CVSS score: 7.8/10. Published 2015-04-21.
How severe is CVE-2015-1701?: High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 7.8 out of 10.
Is CVE-2015-1701 known to be exploited?: Yes. CVE-2015-1701 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2022-03-03), indicating it is being actively exploited. 76 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed.