CVE-2021-34412

Local privilege escalation via installer browser launch

Published Sep 27, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Incorrect privilege assignment in Zoom Client for Meetings for Windows before 5.4.0 allows local users to gain elevated privileges. The Windows installer permits Internet Explorer to launch during installation while inheriting the installer's security context. Exploitation requires an installer running with elevated privileges, such as an SCCM deployment, and yields local privilege escalation.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.32%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Incorrect privilege assignment in Zoom Client for Meetings for Windows before 5.4.0 allows local users to gain elevated privileges. The Windows installer permits Internet Explorer to launch during installation while inheriting the installer's security context. Exploitation requires an installer running with elevated privileges, such as an SCCM deployment, and yields local privilege escalation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-34412
Published
Sep 27, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Zoom Video Communications, Inc.
Product
Zoom Client for Meetings for Windows
Classifications
CWE-269, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 27, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 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=All versions of Zoom Client for Meetings for Windows before 5.4.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Zoom Video Communications, Inc. · Zoom Client for Meetings for Windowsversion=All versions of Zoom Client for Meetings for Windows before 5.4.0

Published CVSS scores

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

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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 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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