CVE-2018-8174 — Microsoft Windows VBScript Engine Out-of-Bounds Write Vulnerability
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript engine handles objects in memory, aka "Windows VBScript Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability." This affects Windows 7, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2012, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 10, Windows 10 Servers.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Confirmed exploitation (CISA KEV)+35
- Used in ransomware campaigns (CISA)+10
- Exploited by 2 threat actor(s) (MITRE ATT&CK)+10
- Public exploit/PoC (exploitdb, github)+14
- EPSS 88.3% (30-day exploitation probability)+15
- Technical severity (high)+6
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — portal.msrc.microsoft.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
CISA required action CISA
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
US federal deadline: Aug 15, 2022 — passed 1523 day(s) ago
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Microsoft Windows 10, Microsoft Windows 10 1607, Microsoft Windows 10 1703…).
- Treat as emergency remediation: the CVE is in CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- Exploitation requires user interaction: tighten email/web filtering and warn affected users.
- EPSS ahead of 100% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Windows 10 |
version x64-based Systemsversion Version 1803 for x64-based Systemsversion Version 1803 for 32-bit Systemsversion Version 1709 for x64-based Systemsversion Version 1709 for 32-bit Systemsversion Version 1703 for x64-based Systemsversion Version 1703 for 32-bit Systemsversion Version 1607 for x64-based Systems and 2 moreversion Version 1607 for 32-bit Systemsversion 32-bit Systems |
Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Microsoft | Windows 10 1607 | versions not specified by the source | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Microsoft | Windows 10 1703 | versions not specified by the source | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Microsoft | Windows 10 1709 | versions not specified by the source | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Microsoft | Windows 10 1803 | versions not specified by the source | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Microsoft | Windows 10 Servers | version version 1803 (Server Core Installation)version version 1709 (Server Core Installation) | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Microsoft | Windows 7 | version x64-based Systems Service Pack 1version 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Microsoft | Windows 7 | versions not specified by the source | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Microsoft | Windows 8.1 | version x64-based systemsversion 32-bit systems | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Microsoft | Windows 8.1 | versions not specified by the source | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Microsoft | Windows Rt 8.1 | versions not specified by the source | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Microsoft | Windows Rt 8.1 | version Windows RT 8.1 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2008 | versions not specified by the sourceversion r2-sp1 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2008 | version 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2version 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)version Itanium-Based Systems Service Pack 2version x64-based Systems Service Pack 2version x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation) | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2008 R2 | version x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation)version x64-based Systems Service Pack 1version Itanium-Based Systems Service Pack 1 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2012 | versions not specified by the sourceversion r2 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2012 | version (Server Core installation) | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2012 R2 | version (Server Core installation) | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2016 | versions not specified by the source | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2016 | version (Server Core installation) | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 1.6 | 5.9 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 1.6 | 5.9 | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | CISA-ADP via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.0 | High | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
| 7.6 | CVSS 2.0 | High | 4.9 | 10.0 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
CISA KEV details CISA
CISA lists a CVE once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.
CISA records ransomware use only for campaigns it has confirmed, so “Unknown” means unrecorded, not ruled out. The deadline binds US federal agencies; for everyone else it is a reference date.
Public exploits, PoCs and detection templates
Public code that demonstrates or tests the flaw raises the odds of mass exploitation — and Nuclei templates help find vulnerable assets in your environment.
- CVE-2018-8174 - VBScript memory corruption exploit. ★ 167 May 22, 2018
- CVE-2018-8174_python ★ 138 May 30, 2018
- Analysis of VBS exploit CVE-2018-8174 ★ 30 Jul 10, 2018
- Exploit Generator for CVE-2018-8174 & CVE-2019-0768 (RCE via VBScript Execution in IE11) ★ 9 May 23, 2019
- MS Word MS WordPad via IE VBS Engine RCE ★ 6 Jun 1, 2018
- Rig Exploit for CVE-2018-8174 As with its previous campaigns, Rig’s Seamless campaign uses malvertising. In this case, the malvertisements have a hidden iframe that redirects victims to Rig’s landing page, which includes an exploit for CVE-2018-8174 and shellcode. This enables remote code executi ★ 0 Jun 26, 2018
- likekabin/CVE-2018-8174-msf ★ 0 Sep 6, 2018
- ericisnotrealname/CVE-2018-8174_EXP ★ 0 Jul 31, 2020
- lisinan988/CVE-2018-8174-exp ★ 0 Nov 25, 2021
Warning: public PoCs are sometimes disguised malware. Use them only for authorized testing in an isolated environment. This portal does not host exploit code — it only points to the sources.
Threat actors exploiting this CVE MITRE ATT&CK
According to MITRE ATT&CK.
Cobalt Group G0080Tonto Team G0131EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 15, 2026 · 3 reading(s) · max 88.33%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.
- Hunt retroactively in logs from before Feb 15, 2022 (KEV listing): exploitation may have started earlier.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · microsoft/windows 7, microsoft/windows server 2012 r2, microsoft/windows rt 8.1, microsoft/windows server 2008, microsof
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Fix documented
- Affected products added · microsoft/windows 10 1607, microsoft/windows 10 1703, microsoft/windows 10 1709, microsoft/windows 10 1803, microsoft/wi
- CVSS changed · 7.5
- Source status changed · → Analyzed
- Added to CISA KEV (detected)
- Record created in this database
- 2022
- Added to CISA KEV catalog
- 2018
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
8 on the record
- portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2018-8174
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-5cv8-848m-hmm2
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/103998
- www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44741
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-8174
- www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44741/
- blog.0patch.com/2018/05/a-single-instruction-micropatch-for.html
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Medium CVE-2026-97844 Role: DNS Server Information Disclosure Vulnerability 2d
- Medium CVE-2026-97843 Role: DNS Server Information Disclosure Vulnerability 2d
- Medium CVE-2026-97840 Role: DNS Server Information Disclosure Vulnerability 2d
- Medium CVE-2026-97839 Role: DNS Server Information Disclosure Vulnerability 2d
- Medium CVE-2026-97841 Role: DNS Server Information Disclosure Vulnerability 2d
- Medium CVE-2026-97842 Role: DNS Server Information Disclosure Vulnerability 2d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2018-8174 is "Microsoft Windows VBScript Engine Out-of-Bounds Write Vulnerability", rated High. It affects Windows 10 (Microsoft); versions are in the scope table. It is in CISA KEV: there is evidence of real-world exploitation. CVSS 7.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 88.33% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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