CVE-2021-43768Network attack vector

Privilege escalation via mbamservice COM interface

Published Oct 24, 2025 · Updated Oct 24, 2025

Improper privilege management in Malwarebytes For Teams 1.0.990 and earlier allows attackers to elevate privileges via a COM interface. The vulnerable locus is the COM interface hosted by mbamservice.exe, but Malwarebytes has not disclosed which method mishandles caller authorization or privileges. CISA assesses access as unauthenticated and network-reachable, while the published descriptions do not explain how remote input reaches the COM service.

CVSS severity5.3
Medium
EPSS probability0.23%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper privilege management in Malwarebytes For Teams 1.0.990 and earlier allows attackers to elevate privileges via a COM interface. The vulnerable locus is the COM interface hosted by mbamservice.exe, but Malwarebytes has not disclosed which method mishandles caller authorization or privileges. CISA assesses access as unauthenticated and network-reachable, while the published descriptions do not explain how remote input reaches the COM service.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-43768
Published
Oct 24, 2025
Updated
Oct 24, 2025
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-269, T1068
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 24, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 24, 2025Record 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 vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

5.3CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N

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.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
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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