CVE-2021-37969

Local privilege escalation via crafted file

Published Oct 8, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Privilege escalation in Google Chrome before 94.0.4606.54 on Windows allows remote attackers to gain elevated local privileges via a crafted file. Google has not publicly disclosed which Google Updater operation mishandles the crafted file or how that file crosses a privilege boundary. Successful exploitation requires user interaction with the crafted file and elevates privileges locally rather than through a remotely exposed Chrome service.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.95%
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 Google Chrome before 94.0.4606.54 on Windows allows remote attackers to gain elevated local privileges via a crafted file. Google has not publicly disclosed which Google Updater operation mishandles the crafted file or how that file crosses a privilege boundary. Successful exploitation requires user interaction with the crafted file and elevates privileges locally rather than through a remotely exposed Chrome service.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-37969
Published
Oct 8, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Google Cloud
Product
Google Chrome
Classifications
CWE-59, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 8, 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=unspecified <94.0.4606.54

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Google Cloud · Google Chromeversion=unspecified <94.0.4606.54

Published CVSS scores

6.8NIST NVDAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
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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