Kaspersky has identified a vulnerability in the Windows Remote Procedure Call (RPC) architecture, which could allow attackers to create fake RPC servers and escalate privileges to “SYSTEM” level under certain conditions. The loophole was given the name “PhantomRPC” to describe the vulnerability’s nature, with a full technical report now available.
Kaspersky: PhantomRPC Exposes “Effectively Unlimited” Attack Vectors
Windows RPC is part of the Windows Interprocess Communication (IPC) framework, allowing processes to invoke functions across separate execution contexts. According to the company, the issue originates from architectural behavior within the Windows RPC framework rather than from a single vulnerable component, and the vulnerability enables a local privilege escalation technique that can be exploited when a process has impersonation privileges.
The report reviewed five exploitation paths demonstrating how attackers could escalate privileges from local or network service contexts to SYSTEM or other highly privileged accounts. Because the issue is linked to the RPC architecture itself, the number of possible attack vectors is “effectively unlimited,” particularly as additional processes and services could introduce additional escalation paths.
Kaspersky noted that exploitation paths may differ depending on system configurations, installed software, DLLs involved in RPC communication, and the availability of corresponding RPC servers. The company said this variability could affect how organizations assess exposure and mitigation requirements. The complexity and widespread use of RPC within Windows increases the importance of monitoring and mitigation efforts, the company further stated.
To reduce potential risks, Kaspersky recommended implementing Event Tracing for Windows (ETW)-based monitoring to identify RPC exceptions and failed connection attempts to unavailable servers. The company also advised organizations to limit the use of the “SeImpersonatePrivilege” permission to processes that explicitly require it, noting that assigning the privilege to custom or third-party processes may increase security risks.
Pokdepinion: Never underestimate the power of permissions!
![[UPDATED: Statements] Forza Horizon 6 Dev Drops Multi-Millennial Ban Hammer To Cheater Before The Game Has Even Released - 58](https://cdn.pokde.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/12022254/fh6leakpermabancover-420x280.jpg "[UPDATED: Statements] Forza Horizon 6 Dev Drops Multi-Millennial Ban Hammer To Cheater Before The Game Has Even Released - 59")
