CVE-2021-44463

Local privilege escalation via missing DLL replacement

Published Jan 28, 2022 · Updated Apr 17, 2025

Local privilege escalation in Emerson DeltaV DCS controllers and workstations, all versions, allows local users to gain elevated privileges. Affected services load attacker-supplied replacements for missing DLLs from an uncontrolled search-path element when those services start. A local low-privileged insider must place a replacement DLL and trigger or await a service start; the DLL then runs with the service's elevated privileges.

CVSS severity8.1
High
EPSS probability0.26%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Local privilege escalation in Emerson DeltaV DCS controllers and workstations, all versions, allows local users to gain elevated privileges. Affected services load attacker-supplied replacements for missing DLLs from an uncontrolled search-path element when those services start. A local low-privileged insider must place a replacement DLL and trigger or await a service start; the DLL then runs with the service's elevated privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-44463
Published
Jan 28, 2022
Updated
Apr 17, 2025
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-427, T1574.001
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 28, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 17, 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 vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

6.9NVDAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
7.3NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
8.1CISA ICS-CERTCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/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
T1574.001DLL Search Order Hijacking

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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