CVE-2022-37979 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE • 10/11/2022
Windows Hyper-V Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/20/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within Microsoft Windows Hyper-V hypervisor implementation that allows attackers to escalate their privileges from a guest operating system to the host system level. The vulnerability stems from improper validation of input parameters within Hyper-V's virtual machine management interfaces, specifically affecting the virtual machine configuration and resource allocation mechanisms. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can potentially gain unauthorized access to the underlying host system resources, enabling them to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The flaw exists in the way Hyper-V handles certain virtual machine state transitions and memory management operations, creating opportunities for privilege escalation attacks that bypass standard security boundaries between guest and host environments.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation issues that can lead to privilege escalation scenarios. The flaw manifests when Hyper-V fails to properly validate memory addresses and resource identifiers during virtual machine context switching operations, allowing malicious code within a compromised guest environment to manipulate hypervisor memory structures. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the hypervisor level, where the attacker's code executes with the highest privileges available to the system, potentially compromising the entire virtualization infrastructure. The attack vector typically involves crafting specific memory operations or resource allocation requests that exploit the validation gaps in Hyper-V's internal processing routines.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-37979 extends beyond individual system compromise to threaten entire virtualized environments and cloud infrastructure deployments. Organizations running Hyper-V-based virtualization solutions face significant risk as attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access to host systems, potentially affecting multiple virtual machines simultaneously. The vulnerability affects various Windows Server versions including Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, and Windows Server 2022, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments that rely heavily on virtualization technologies. Attackers can use this privilege escalation to access sensitive data, modify system configurations, install malware, or establish backdoors that persist across system reboots. The vulnerability also poses risks to cloud service providers who use Hyper-V for their infrastructure, potentially enabling attackers to compromise multiple customer environments through a single successful exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate application of Microsoft's security patches and updates released through Windows Update or Microsoft Update Catalog. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts, while monitoring for unusual system behavior or unauthorized access patterns. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their Hyper-V environments to identify systems running affected Windows Server versions and prioritize patching efforts accordingly. The implementation of hypervisor-level security features such as Hyper-V Secure Boot and virtual machine isolation mechanisms can provide additional protection layers. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques under T1068, with potential lateral movement capabilities through the compromised host system. Organizations should also consider implementing endpoint detection and response solutions that can identify anomalous hypervisor memory access patterns and potential exploitation attempts, as traditional network-based security controls may not detect hypervisor-level attacks effectively.