CVE-2021-40441

Local privilege escalation

Published Dec 15, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Windows Media Center in Microsoft Windows 7 and related server releases allows local users to gain elevated privileges. The specific Windows Media Center operation on untrusted input is not disclosed in the CNA or Microsoft advisory. Access requires a local low-privilege account, and the documented impact is elevation to high-integrity execution with confidentiality, integrity, and availability consequences.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.70%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Windows Media Center in Microsoft Windows 7 and related server releases allows local users to gain elevated privileges. The specific Windows Media Center operation on untrusted input is not disclosed in the CNA or Microsoft advisory. Access requires a local low-privilege account, and the documented impact is elevation to high-integrity execution with confidentiality, integrity, and availability consequences.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-40441
Published
Dec 15, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Microsoft
Product
Windows 7
Classifications
T1548
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 15, 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

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=6.1.0 <6.1.7601.25796

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Microsoft · Windows 7version=6.1.0 <6.1.7601.25796
Microsoft · Windows 8.1version=6.3.0 <6.3.9600.20207
Microsoft · Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation)version=6.2.0 <6.2.9200.23540; version=6.2.0 <6.2.9200.23545
Microsoft · Windows Server 2012version=6.2.0 <6.2.9200.23540; version=6.2.0 <6.2.9200.23545
Microsoft · Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1version=6.1.0 <6.1.7601.25796
Microsoft · Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation)version=6.0.0 <6.1.7601.25796
Microsoft · Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation)version=6.3.0 <6.3.9600.20207
Microsoft · Windows 7 Service Pack 1version=6.1.0 <6.1.7601.25796
Microsoft · Windows Server 2012 R2version=6.3.0 <6.3.9600.20207

Published CVSS scores

7.8[email protected]CVSS: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 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

T1548Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism

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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