CVE-2021-36934

Windows Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

Published Jul 22, 2021 CVSS 3.1 · 7.8 High EPSS 67.3% KEV · Listed
Description
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists because of overly permissive Access Control Lists (ACLs) on multiple system files, including the Security Accounts Manager (SAM) database. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.
An attacker must have the ability to execute code on a victim system to exploit this vulnerability.
After installing this security update, you must manually delete all shadow copies of system files, including the SAM database, to fully mitigate this vulnerabilty. Simply installing this security update will not fully mitigate this vulnerability. See KB5005357- Delete Volume Shadow Copies.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories available
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description <p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists because of overly permissive Access Control Lists (ACLs) on multiple system files, including the Security Accounts Manager (SAM) database. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.</p> <p>An attacker must have the ability to execute code on a victim system to exploit this vulnerability.</p> <p>After installing this security update, you <em>must</em> manually delete all shadow copies of system files, including the SAM database, to fully mitigate this vulnerabilty. <strong>Simply installing this security update will not fully mitigate this vulnerability.</strong> See <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/topic/1ceaa637-aaa3-4b58-a48b-baf72a2fa9e7">KB5005357- Delete Volume Shadow Copies</a>.</p> An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists because of overly permissive Access Control Lists (ACLs) on multiple system files, including the Security Accounts Manager (SAM) database. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. An attacker must have the ability to execute code on a victim system to exploit this vulnerability. After installing this security update, you must manually delete all shadow copies of system files, including the SAM database, to fully mitigate this vulnerabilty. Simply installing this security update will not fully mitigate this vulnerability. See KB5005357- Delete Volume Shadow Copies.
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1809:10.0.17763.2114:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1809:10.0.17763.2114:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1809:10.0.17763.2114:*:*:*:*:*:x86:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1809:10.0.18363.1734:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1809:10.0.19041.1165:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1909:10.0.18363.1734:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1909:10.0.18363.1734:*:*:*:*:*:x86:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_20H2:10.0.19042.1165:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_20H2:10.0.19042.1165:*:*:*:*:*:x86:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_21H1:10.0.19043.1165:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_21H1:10.0.19043.1165:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_21H1:10.0.19043.1165:*:*:*:*:*:x86:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1809:*:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1809:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1809:*:*:*:*:*:*:x86:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1909:*:*:*:*:*:*:x86:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_20H2:*:*:*:*:*:*:x86:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_21H1:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description <p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists because of overly permissive Access Control Lists (ACLs) on multiple system files, including the Security Accounts Manager (SAM) database. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.</p> <p>An attacker must have the ability to execute code on a victim system to exploit this vulnerability.</p> <p>After installing this security update, you <em>must</em> manually delete all shadow copies of system files, including the SAM database, to fully mitigate this vulnerabilty. <strong>Simply installing this security update will not fully mitigate this vulnerability.</strong> See <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/topic/1ceaa637-aaa3-4b58-a48b-baf72a2fa9e7">KB5005357- Delete Volume Shadow Copies</a>.</p> <p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists because of overly permissive Access Control Lists (ACLs) on multiple system files, including the Security Accounts Manager (SAM) database. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.</p> <p>An attacker must have the ability to execute code on a victim system to exploit this vulnerability.</p> <p>After installing this security update, you <em>must</em> manually delete all shadow copies of system files, including the SAM database, to fully mitigate this vulnerabilty. <strong>Simply installing this security update will not fully mitigate this vulnerability.</strong> See <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/topic/1ceaa637-aaa3-4b58-a48b-baf72a2fa9e7">KB5005357- Delete Volume Shadow Copies</a>.</p>
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics epss

{'score': 0.89742}

epss

{'score': 0.89651}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics kev

{'dateAdded': '2022-02-10'}

ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'active', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
microsoft
Published
Updated
Aug 10, 2026, 3:11 PM
Reserved
Jul 19, 2021, 12:00 AM
Status
Analyzed
Published
Jul 22, 2021, 7:15 AM
Modified
Aug 10, 2026, 8:19 PM