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CVE-2021-21786 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Discover the impact of CVE-2021-21786, a high severity privilege escalation vulnerability in IOBit Advanced SystemCare Ultimate 14.2.0.220. Learn about affected systems, exploitation, and mitigation strategies.

A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the IOCTL 0x9c406144 handling of IOBit Advanced SystemCare Ultimate 14.2.0.220. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted I/O request packet to gain increased privileges.

Understanding CVE-2021-21786

This section will cover the details of CVE-2021-21786, including its impact, technical description, affected systems, exploitation mechanism, mitigation, and prevention.

What is CVE-2021-21786?

CVE-2021-21786 is a privilege escalation vulnerability found in IOBit Advanced SystemCare Ultimate 14.2.0.220 due to insufficient access control in handling IOCTL 0x9c406144 requests. This vulnerability could allow an attacker to execute malicious code with elevated privileges.

The Impact of CVE-2021-21786

The CVSS base score for CVE-2021-21786 is 8.8, indicating a high severity vulnerability. The attack complexity is low, but the impact on the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected systems is rated high. The exploit does not require user interaction and has a low privilege requirement, making it dangerous for affected systems.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-21786

In this section, we will delve into the vulnerability description, affected systems and versions, as well as the exploitation mechanism employed by threat actors.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability stems from the mishandling of IOCTL 0x9c406144 requests in IOBit Advanced SystemCare Ultimate 14.2.0.220, enabling attackers to escalate their privileges by sending a specially crafted I/O request packet.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects IOBit's Advanced SystemCare Ultimate 14.2.0.220 version.

Exploitation Mechanism

Threat actors can exploit this vulnerability by sending a malicious I/O request packet (IRP) to the targeted system, triggering the privilege escalation issue.

Mitigation and Prevention

To secure systems from CVE-2021-21786, immediate steps should be taken along with long-term security practices and applying necessary patches and updates.

Immediate Steps to Take

Administrators must monitor for security advisories, apply security updates promptly, and restrict unnecessary access rights to mitigate the risk associated with this vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing the principle of least privilege, conducting regular security audits, and educating users on safe computing practices can help prevent such vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that IOBit Advanced SystemCare Ultimate is updated to the latest version to patch the vulnerability and enhance the security posture of the system.

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