SYSTEM privilege escalation via freed registry descriptor
Published Jan 10, 2023 · Updated Jan 1, 2025
Improper privilege management in the Windows Kernel allows local users with low privileges to gain SYSTEM access through registry virtualization. The registry virtualization path releases a key's old security descriptor before allocating its replacement, and allocation failure leaves _CM_KEY_NODE.Security set to -1 without security properties. Exploitation requires local low-privilege access and manipulation of registry key replication; successful abuse compromises kernel-enforced data and system control.
Summary
What happened
Improper privilege management in the Windows Kernel allows local users with low privileges to gain SYSTEM access through registry virtualization. The registry virtualization path releases a key's old security descriptor before allocating its replacement, and allocation failure leaves _CM_KEY_NODE.Security set to -1 without security properties. Exploitation requires local low-privilege access and manipulation of registry key replication; successful abuse compromises kernel-enforced data and system control.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-21772
- Published
- Jan 10, 2023
- Updated
- Jan 1, 2025
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows 10 Version 1507
- Classifications
- CWE-125, CWE-269, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 10, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jan 1, 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?
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- Affected versionversion=10.0.10240.0 <10.0.10240.19685
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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