CVE-2021-41379

Microsoft Windows Installer Privilege Escalation

5.5 MEDIUMActively exploited (CISA KEV)Used in ransomwareEPSS 19.5%

Published10 Nov 2021
Added to CISA KEV3 Mar 2022
Remediation due17 Mar 2022

Description

Windows Installer Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

CVSS 3.1 breakdown

Attack vectorLocal

Attack complexityLow

Privileges requiredLow

User interactionNone

ScopeUnchanged

ConfidentialityNone

IntegrityNone

AvailabilityHigh

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected products

Microsoft Windows 10 1507< 10.0.10240.19119

Microsoft Windows 10 1607< 10.0.14393.4770

Microsoft Windows 10 1809< 10.0.17763.2300

Microsoft Windows 10 1909< 10.0.18363.1916

Microsoft Windows 10 2004< 10.0.19041.1348

Microsoft Windows 10 20h2< 10.0.19042.1348

Microsoft Windows 10 21h1< 10.0.19043.1348

Microsoft Windows 11 21h2< 10.0.22000.318

Microsoft Windows 7all versions

Microsoft Windows 8.1all versions

Microsoft Windows Rt 8.1all versions

Microsoft Windows Server 2004< 10.0.19041.1348

Microsoft Windows Server 2008r2

Microsoft Windows Server 2012r2

Microsoft Windows Server 2016< 10.0.14393.4770

Microsoft Windows Server 2019< 10.0.17763.2300

Microsoft Windows Server 2022< 10.0.20348.350

Microsoft Windows Server 20h2< 10.0.19042.1348

Remediation

Fixed in

Microsoft Windows 10 1507≥ 10.0.10240.19119

Microsoft Windows 10 1607≥ 10.0.14393.4770

Microsoft Windows 10 1809≥ 10.0.17763.2300

Microsoft Windows 10 1909≥ 10.0.18363.1916

Microsoft Windows 10 2004≥ 10.0.19041.1348

Microsoft Windows 10 20h2≥ 10.0.19042.1348

Microsoft Windows 10 21h1≥ 10.0.19043.1348

Microsoft Windows 11 21h2≥ 10.0.22000.318

Microsoft Windows Server 2004≥ 10.0.19041.1348

Microsoft Windows Server 2016≥ 10.0.14393.4770

Patch & vendor advisories

References

https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-41379PatchVendor Advisory
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2021-41379PatchVendor Advisory
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-41379US Government Resource
https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-21-1308/Third Party AdvisoryVDB Entry

Related CVEs

Recent high-severity vulnerabilities sharing a weakness type.

Frequently asked

Is CVE-2021-41379 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2021-41379 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added 3 Mar 2022. It has been used in ransomware campaigns.

How severe is CVE-2021-41379?

CVE-2021-41379 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated medium. EPSS estimates a 19.5% probability of exploitation.

Which products are affected by CVE-2021-41379?

Affected products include Microsoft Windows 10 1507, Microsoft Windows 10 1607, Microsoft Windows 10 1809, Microsoft Windows 10 1909, Microsoft Windows 10 2004, and 13 more.

How do I fix CVE-2021-41379?

Upgrade affected software to a fixed version, for example Microsoft Windows 10 1507 10.0.10240.19119, Microsoft Windows 10 1607 10.0.14393.4770, Microsoft Windows 10 1809 10.0.17763.2300 or later, then confirm no affected versions remain in your inventory.

How Secuno handles this

Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2021-41379 against the real software inventory on every managed device, every day. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. Because it is on the CISA KEV list, Secuno flags any affected asset as top-priority automatically. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.

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Data from the NVD, CISA KEV catalog and FIRST EPSS. CVSS 3.1 base score shown where available.