How severe is CVE-2019-1388?

CVE-2019-1388 has a CVSS score of 7.8/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2019-1388?

Affected package information for CVE-2019-1388 is not yet fully mapped. Check the official advisory links for details.

How do I fix CVE-2019-1388?

No fixed release is recorded for CVE-2019-1388 yet. Track the upstream advisory, and apply the exposure-reduction steps below in the meantime.

How do I detect CVE-2019-1388 in my code and dependencies?

Identify every host running the affected component and compare the installed build against the fixed version below — for source-built or distro-packaged software the version string, not a lockfile, is the source of truth (`dpkg -l`, `rpm -q`, or the binary's own `--version`).

How do I mitigate CVE-2019-1388 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Close the privilege gap rather than the entry point: audit which accounts, roles and service identities can reach the affected operation, drop the component to the least privilege it actually needs, and review file and directory permissions created by earlier installs — a default left in place is what makes this reachable.

Is CVE-2019-1388 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 12 known exploit references for CVE-2019-1388, including 7 in-the-wild exploitations observed on GitHub and other sources. Treat this as actively exploitable and prioritize patching immediately. All exploit code should only be run in an isolated sandbox environment for research or authorized testing — never against production systems without explicit written authorization.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2019-1388?

CVE-2019-1388 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 8.6%, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

Is CVE-2019-1388 in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog?

Yes. CVE-2019-1388 (Microsoft Windows Certificate Dialog Privilege Escalation Vulnerability) was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2023-04-07. CISA required all US federal civilian agencies to remediate this vulnerability by 2023-04-28. The required action was: Apply updates per vendor instructions. This CVE has been used in known ransomware campaigns. Being listed in the KEV catalog is the strongest possible confirmation of active exploitation — treat this as a critical priority.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2019-1388?

CVE-2019-1388 is classified as Improper Privilege Management (CWE-269). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

When was CVE-2019-1388 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2019-1388 was published on November 12, 2019 and was last updated on October 21, 2025. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

🛡️

CISA KEV · ACTIVELY EXPLOITED

HIGH severity

CVE-2019-1388 — Microsoft

HIGH

CVE-2019-1388 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.8) Improper Privilege Management vulnerability. It is in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2023-04-07) and has been used in ransomware campaigns — treat it as actively exploited and patch now. No vendor fix is recorded yet; mitigation options are listed below.

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the Windows Certificate Dialog when it does not properly enforce user privileges, aka 'Windows Certificate Dialog Elevation of Privilege…

Published

Nov 12, 2019

Updated

Oct 21, 2025

Affected

14 products

Patched

See advisory

Exploits

12 known

Exploitation data as of Oct 23, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, CISA KEV, FIRST.org (EPSS)

Exploitation Status

Actively exploited in the wild

Confirmed by CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2023-04-07 — including use in ransomware campaigns. Federal agencies were required to remediate by 2023-04-28.
A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.

Exploitation and automatability from CISA (KEV catalog and SSVC triage) for CVE-2019-1388.

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

8.6%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs95th percentile — riskier than 95% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

How urgent is this, really

CVE-2019-1388 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.

Where this sits among everything scored

Of 395,249 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.

Description

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the Windows Certificate Dialog when it does not properly enforce user privileges, aka 'Windows Certificate Dialog Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.

Affected Products

14 products · 28 configurations

windows 7microsoft

all

windows 8.1microsoft

all

windows 10 1507microsoft

all

windows 10 1607microsoft

all

windows 10 1709microsoft

all

windows 10 1803microsoft

all

Exploits & PoCs

Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.