Privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows 10

CVE-2021-34481

A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Print Spooler service improperly performs privileged file operations. 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. UPDATE August 10, 2021: Microsoft has completed the investigation and has released security updates to address this vulnerability. Please see the Security Updates table for the applicable update for your system. We recommend that you install these updates immediately. This security update changes the Point and Print default behavior; please see KB5005652.

Vulnerability class: Privilege Escalation

EPSS: 0.454 (98.7th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 8.8 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.

Affected products

Weakness classification (CWE)

Public proof-of-concept exploits

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-34481?
CVE-2021-34481 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10, classified under Improper Privilege Management. CVSS score: 8.8/10. Published 2021-07-16.
How severe is CVE-2021-34481?
High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 8.8 out of 10.
Is CVE-2021-34481 known to be exploited?
12 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed. Not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.