CVE-2019-0859 is a local elevation-of-privilege vulnerability in the Windows Win32k component caused by improper handling of objects in memory. The flaw is a use-after-free condition in the CreateWindowEx code path during window creation and WM_NCCREATE processing. During exploitation, a crafted window-creation sequence can manipulate window state while the window Function ID is transiently unset, influence subsequent window-procedure handling, and cause CreateWindowEx to invoke FreeWindow on a not-fully-initialized window object. This creates a controllable freed object condition in kernel memory that can be leveraged to obtain kernel read/write capabilities or otherwise execute attacker-controlled code in kernel context. The vulnerability was observed exploited in the wild as a zero-day against 64-bit Windows systems, including Windows 7 through older Windows 10 builds.
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What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.
What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.
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1 valid exploit after Mallory filtered fakes, detection scripts, and README-only repos.
This repository is a proof-of-concept (POC) exploit for CVE-2019-0859, a local privilege escalation vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 7 x64 Service Pack 1 (build 7601) with the 2019 March security update. The exploit is implemented in C++ with a custom x64 assembly routine (syscall_x64.asm) to perform direct system calls, bypassing standard Windows APIs. The codebase includes header files defining Windows kernel structures and a project file for building with Visual Studio. The README provides usage notes and target requirements. The exploit is not 100% reliable and may require multiple attempts. No network or remote attack vectors are present; exploitation requires local code execution on the target system.
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Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.
9 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
A previously known SetWindowLongPtr-related Windows vulnerability mentioned only as historical background.
A Windows kernel local privilege escalation vulnerability involving a use-after-free in CreateWindowEx, used as a real-world exploit tool.
A previously found zero-day referenced because its exploit code is similar to the CVE-2018-8641 exploit analyzed in the article.
A Windows zero-day vulnerability allegedly developed by Volodya and used by a financially motivated cybercrime FIN group; it was reported to Microsoft and is now patched.
Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.
Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.
Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.
YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.
Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.
Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.