CVE-2021-43940

Local privilege escalation via installer DLL hijacking

Published Feb 15, 2022 · Updated Oct 8, 2024

DLL hijacking in Confluence Server and Data Center before 7.4.10 and 7.5.0 through 7.12.2 allows local users to elevate privileges. The Windows installer loads a DLL through an uncontrolled search path, allowing attacker-supplied code to run with the installer's elevated rights; Atlassian has not disclosed the DLL or path. The attack requires local access and execution of the installer, and successful exploitation grants installer-level system privileges.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.33%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

DLL hijacking in Confluence Server and Data Center before 7.4.10 and 7.5.0 through 7.12.2 allows local users to elevate privileges. The Windows installer loads a DLL through an uncontrolled search path, allowing attacker-supplied code to run with the installer's elevated rights; Atlassian has not disclosed the DLL or path. The attack requires local access and execution of the installer, and successful exploitation grants installer-level system privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-43940
Published
Feb 15, 2022
Updated
Oct 8, 2024
Vendor
Atlassian
Product
Confluence Data Center
Classifications
CWE-427, T1574.001
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 15, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 8, 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=0 <7.4.10
  2. Affected versionversion=7.5.0 <7.12.3
  3. Affected versionversion=7.5.0 <unspecified
  4. Affected versionversion=unspecified <7.12.3
  5. Affected versionversion=unspecified <7.4.10

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Atlassian · Confluence Data Centerversion=0 <7.4.10; version=7.5.0 <7.12.3; version=7.5.0 <unspecified; version=unspecified <7.12.3; version=unspecified <7.4.10
Atlassian · Confluence Serverversion=0 <7.4.10; version=7.5.0 <7.12.3; version=7.5.0 <unspecified; version=unspecified <7.12.3; version=unspecified <7.4.10

Published CVSS scores

7.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.9NVDAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
7.8NVDCVSS: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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-427Uncontrolled Search Path Element
T1574.001Hijack Execution Flow: DLL

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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