CVE-2013-3660: Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
Reference page built from the source records below, each shown as its source publishes it. Dataset version ref-ef58b6505b50, updated 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z.
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
- Name
- Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Win32k
- Added to the catalog
- 2022-03-28
- Due date for US federal agencies
- 2022-04-18
- Weaknesses
- CWE-119
- Catalog version
- 2026.10.30
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.
Required action (CISA)
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Ransomware use: CISA does not mark known use of this vulnerability in ransomware campaigns.
Links in CISA's notes
Read on 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z under licence cisa-kev-cc0@b0067899 from https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json
NVD analysis
- Status
- Analyzed
- Published
- 2013-05-24T20:55:01.903
- Last modified
- 2026-06-16T23:55:35.730
- Weaknesses
- CWE-119
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."
| Metric | Score | Severity | Vector | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H | [email protected] (Primary) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 (Secondary) |
| CVSS 2.0 | 6.9 | MEDIUM | AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C | [email protected] (Primary) |
References
- http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/fulldisclosure/2013-05/0090.html (Broken Link)
- http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/fulldisclosure/2013-05/0094.html (Broken Link)
- http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/fulldisclosure/2013-06/0006.html (Broken Link)
- http://secunia.com/advisories/53435 (Broken Link, Vendor Advisory)
- http://twitter.com/taviso/statuses/309157606247768064 (Exploit)
- http://twitter.com/taviso/statuses/335557286657400832 (Not Applicable)
- http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9239477 (Broken Link)
- http://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/25611/ (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
- http://www.osvdb.org/93539 (Broken Link)
- http://www.reddit.com/r/netsec/comments/1eqh66/0day_windows_kernel_epathobj_vulnerability/ (Exploit, Issue Tracking)
- http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/23/4358400/google-engineer-bashes-microsoft-discloses-windows-flaw (Press/Media Coverage)
- http://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/alerts/TA13-190A (Third Party Advisory, US Government Resource)
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2013/ms13-053 (Patch, Vendor Advisory)
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A17360 (Broken Link)
- http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/fulldisclosure/2013-05/0090.html (Broken Link)
- http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/fulldisclosure/2013-05/0094.html (Broken Link)
- http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/fulldisclosure/2013-06/0006.html (Broken Link)
- http://secunia.com/advisories/53435 (Broken Link, Vendor Advisory)
- http://twitter.com/taviso/statuses/309157606247768064 (Exploit)
- http://twitter.com/taviso/statuses/335557286657400832 (Not Applicable)
- http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9239477 (Broken Link)
- http://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/25611/ (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
- http://www.osvdb.org/93539 (Broken Link)
- http://www.reddit.com/r/netsec/comments/1eqh66/0day_windows_kernel_epathobj_vulnerability/ (Exploit, Issue Tracking)
- http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/23/4358400/google-engineer-bashes-microsoft-discloses-windows-flaw (Press/Media Coverage)
- http://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/alerts/TA13-190A (Third Party Advisory, US Government Resource)
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2013/ms13-053 (Patch, Vendor Advisory)
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A17360 (Broken Link)
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2013-3660 (US Government Resource)
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.
Read on 2026-11-02T23:41:28.906Z under licence nvd-api-terms-of-use@ff2a5288 from https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?cveId=CVE-2013-3660
CVE record
- Assigner
- mitre
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Published
- 2013-05-24T20:00:00.000Z
- Updated
- 2025-10-22T00:05:42.100Z
- Problem types
- n/a
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."
References
- 20130517 Re: exploitation ideas under memory pressure
- 25611
- 20130517 exploitation ideas under memory pressure
- 53435
- 93539
- http://twitter.com/taviso/statuses/309157606247768064
- http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9239477
- http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/23/4358400/google-engineer-bashes-microsoft-discloses-windows-flaw
- oval:org.mitre.oval:def:17360
- http://www.reddit.com/r/netsec/comments/1eqh66/0day_windows_kernel_epathobj_vulnerability/
- 20130603 Re: exploitation ideas under memory pressure
- TA13-190A
- MS13-053
- http://twitter.com/taviso/statuses/335557286657400832
Read on 2026-11-03T00:24:48.892Z under licence cve-terms-of-use@81bfa2f3 from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2013/3xxx/CVE-2013-3660.json
Defensive techniques (MITRE D3FEND)
D3FEND maps these defensive techniques to the weakness (CWE) that NVD lists for this CVE, through the digital artifacts the weakness affects. D3FEND does not say they stop this vulnerability.
CWE-119: Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer
- Restore: Restore Software (acts on Software)
- Harden: Variable Initialization (acts on Subroutine)
- Isolate: Application-based Process Isolation (acts on Subroutine)
- Harden: Software Update (acts on Software)
- Harden: Domain Logic Validation (acts on Subroutine)
- Model: Asset Vulnerability Enumeration (acts on Software)
- Model: Software Inventory (acts on Software)
- Harden: Credential Scrubbing (acts on Subroutine)
- Harden: Trusted Library (acts on Subroutine)
- Harden: Null Pointer Checking (acts on Pointer Dereferencing Function, Memory Free Function)
- Harden: Variable Type Validation (acts on Pointer Dereferencing Function)
- Harden: Memory Block Start Validation (acts on Memory Free Function)
- Harden: Reference Nullification (acts on Memory Free Function)
D3FEND ontology version 1.6.0.
Read on 2026-11-02T23:54:38.936Z under licence d3fend-terms-of-use@f98cbc7e from https://d3fend.mitre.org/api/weakness/cwe/CWE-119.json
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Sources and licences
CISA
Source: CISA Catalog of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, version 2026.10.30, CC0 1.0. Use of this data does not imply endorsement by CISA or DHS.
National Vulnerability Database (NIST)
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.
NVD API Terms of Use (NIST publications in the public domain, 17 U.S.C. 105)
CVE Program, The MITRE Corporation
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MITRE D3FEND
MITRE D3FEND™ knowledge graph. © 2025 The MITRE Corporation.
"The MITRE Corporation (MITRE) hereby grants you a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use D3FEND for research, development, and commercial purposes. Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy." Terms: https://d3fend.mitre.org/tou/MITRE D3FEND Terms of Use (site + knowledge graph); source repo MIT
Cite this page
Dragons Eye Ransomware Tracker, "CVE-2013-3660: Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability",
entity page, dataset version ref-ef58b6505b50, updated 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/cve/CVE-2013-3660 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: CISA Catalog of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, version 2026.10.30.
Underlying source: National Vulnerability Database (NIST), CVE API 2.0, record last modified 2026-06-16T23:55:35.730.
Underlying source: CVE List (CVE Program, The MITRE Corporation), record updated 2025-10-22T00:05:42.100Z.
Underlying source: MITRE D3FEND, ontology version 1.6.0.
Pages change. The dataset version identifies the data, but no archive of old versions is kept, so this citation cannot be replayed later.