CVE-2021-1703

Local privilege escalation

Published Jan 12, 2021 · Updated Oct 8, 2024

Privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows 10 and Windows Server releases 2004 and 20H2 allows local users to gain elevated rights. Microsoft identifies the Windows Event Logging Service as the affected component but has not published the faulty operation or input path. A user must already hold low privileges on an affected host; successful exploitation compromises system confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.80%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows 10 and Windows Server releases 2004 and 20H2 allows local users to gain elevated rights. Microsoft identifies the Windows Event Logging Service as the affected component but has not published the faulty operation or input path. A user must already hold low privileges on an affected host; successful exploitation compromises system confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-1703
Published
Jan 12, 2021
Updated
Oct 8, 2024
Vendor
Microsoft
Product
Windows Server, version 2004
Classifications
CWE-269, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 12, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 8, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=10.0.0 <publication

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Microsoft · Windows Server, version 2004version=10.0.0 <publication
Microsoft · Windows 10 Version 20H2version=10.0.0 <publication
Microsoft · Windows Server version 20H2version=10.0.0 <publication
Microsoft · Windows 10 Version 2004version=10.0.0 <publication

Published CVSS scores

7.8Microsoft CorporationCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.2NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-269Improper Privilege Management
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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