CVE-2002-0367
HIGHCISA KEVEPSS 91th pctlDescription
smss.exe debugging subsystem in Windows NT and Windows 2000 does not properly authenticate programs that connect to other programs, which allows local users to gain administrator or SYSTEM privileges by duplicating a handle to a privileged process, as demonstrated by DebPloit.
How to fix
Actively exploited, no published fix found yet
CISA required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Federal remediation due: 2022-03-24
Mitigation guidance may be in the linked vendor advisories in the References section below.
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CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Exploit Intelligence
High risk: more likely to be exploited than 91% of all known CVEs.
Microsoft Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
smss.exe debugging subsystem in Microsoft Windows does not properly authenticate programs that connect to other programs, which allows local users to gain administrator or SYSTEM privileges.
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Remediation due: 2022-03-24
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management) vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2017-12635 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2022-24637 | Critical | 9.8 | 99% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2017-5689 | Critical | 9.8 | 92% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2020-3243 | Critical | 9.8 | 88% | - | - |
| CVE-2024-21888 | High | 8.8 | 87% | - | - |
| CVE-2022-0441 | Critical | 9.8 | 85% | - | Fix |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2002-0367?
No published fix for CVE-2002-0367 has been found yet. It is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list; federal agencies must remediate by 2022-03-24. Apply the vendor's mitigations per CISA's guidance.
Is CVE-2002-0367 being actively exploited?
Yes. CVE-2002-0367 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which means exploitation has been observed in the wild. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 2022-03-24. Treat it as a priority whatever its CVSS score says.
How severe is CVE-2002-0367?
CVE-2002-0367 has a CVSS v3 base score of 7.8, rated high. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2026-04-16.