CVE-2021-43893 : Security Advisory and Response

Windows Encrypting File System (EFS) Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability discovered on December 14, 2021.

Understanding CVE-2021-43893

What is CVE-2021-43893?

The CVE-2021-43893 is an Elevation of Privilege vulnerability affecting various Microsoft Windows versions.

The Impact of CVE-2021-43893

The vulnerability allows attackers to elevate privileges on the affected systems, potentially leading to unauthorized access and data manipulation.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-43893

Vulnerability Description

The CVE-2021-43893 exploit allows unauthorized users to gain elevated privileges on the Windows systems.

Affected Systems and Versions

Windows 7 to Windows Server 2019 and their Service Packs are affected.
Multiple platforms, including x64-based and ARM64-based systems, are vulnerable.
Specific version ranges within each product are impacted.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability is exploited by manipulating the Windows Encrypting File System (EFS) to gain unauthorized elevated privileges.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply security patches provided by Microsoft promptly.
Monitor system activity for any signs of unauthorized access.
Restrict user permissions to minimize the impact of potential attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement least privilege access controls to restrict user permissions.
Regularly update and patch systems to address known security vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Ensure all affected systems are updated with the latest security patches released by Microsoft to mitigate the CVE-2021-43893 vulnerability.