CVE-2021-31956KEV · OVERDUE

Windows NTFS Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

High · published June 8, 2021

Patch now

Confirmed exploited, and the score agrees

CVSS calls it high at 7.8. It is confirmed in active exploitation. It sits in the 97.3th percentile for exploit probability.

1754
days past CISA
deadline
CVSS v3.1
7.8
EPSS
20%
Percentile
97.3
In the wild
Confirmed
What it is

⚡ An unexpected twist in NTFS: a sneaky elevation of privilege vulnerability threatens your Windows systems! 🔥 Think of this flaw as a hotel with a secret, unlocked access door for staff. Anyone who knows how to exploit it could slip into the VIP area, gaining access to private rooms that should be off-limits. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to gain elevated privileges, effectively allowing them to infiltrate the system and execute arbitrary code at a higher security level. This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, potentially putting the entire network at risk. It's a serious situation that needs your immediate attention!

Put simply

Think of this flaw as a hotel with a secret, unlocked access door for staff. Anyone who knows how to exploit it could slip into the VIP area, gaining access to private rooms that should be off-limits. CVE-2021-31956 is an elevation of privilege vulnerability in Windows NTFS, where a local attacker can manipulate the NTFS file system to gain elevated permissions, circumventing standard security protections.

What to do

An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to gain elevated privileges, effectively allowing them to infiltrate the system and execute arbitrary code at a higher security level. This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, potentially putting the entire network at risk. It's a serious situation that needs your immediate attention! To mitigate this risk, apply the latest security patches released by Microsoft. Ensure your systems are updated to the latest versions and conduct regular security audits to identify any potential vulnerabilities. You've got this! With these steps, you'll keep your systems safe and secure. 🛡️

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
7.8 · HIGH
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:F/RL:O/RC:C
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.20268 · 97.3th percentile
Published
2021-06-08T22:46Z
KEV added
2021-11-03 · due 2021-11-17
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 03 NOV 00:00Z
    Added to CISA KEV — remediate by Nov 17
    kev
  • 08 JUN 22:46Z
    Windows NTFS Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
    cvelistv5