CVE-2021-3146

Local privilege escalation via unsafe DLL search

Published Apr 8, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Untrusted search path handling in Dolby Audio X2 API service before 0.8.8.90 allows local users to gain elevated privileges on Windows. Dolby attributes the flaw to an MFC application loading an attacker-supplied dwmapi.dll from its current working directory without restricting the search path. Exploitation requires local access and control of the working directory when the affected application runs.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.43%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Untrusted search path handling in Dolby Audio X2 API service before 0.8.8.90 allows local users to gain elevated privileges on Windows. Dolby attributes the flaw to an MFC application loading an attacker-supplied dwmapi.dll from its current working directory without restricting the search path. Exploitation requires local access and control of the working directory when the affected application runs.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-3146
Published
Apr 8, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-426, T1574.001
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 8, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 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?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.6NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

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-426Untrusted Search Path
T1574.001Hijack Execution Flow: DLL Search Order Hijacking

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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