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Vulnerability DatabaseCVE-2022-21838
CVE-2022-21838:
vulnerability analysis and mitigation
Overview
The Windows Cleanup Manager Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2022-21838) was discovered and reported on September 3, 2021, and publicly disclosed on January 13, 2022. This vulnerability affects multiple versions of Microsoft Windows, including Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, and various Windows Server editions (ZDI Advisory).
Technical details
The vulnerability exists within the SilentCleanup scheduled task of Microsoft Windows. The specific flaw allows attackers to abuse the task to delete a folder by creating a symbolic link. The vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.0 (AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) and is classified under CWE-59 (ZDI Advisory, NVD).
Impact
When successfully exploited, this vulnerability allows attackers to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of SYSTEM, effectively gaining complete control over the affected system (ZDI Advisory).
Mitigation and workarounds
Microsoft has released security updates to address this vulnerability. Users are advised to apply the available patches through the official Microsoft update channels (ZDI Advisory).
Additional resources
Source: This report was generated using AI
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