CVE-2021-42278 Vulnerability Analysis & Exploit Details

CVE-2021-42278
Vulnerability Scoring

7.5
/10
Very High Risk

Highly exploitable, CVE-2021-42278 poses a critical security risk that could lead to severe breaches.

Attack Complexity Details

  • Attack Complexity: High
    Exploits require significant effort and special conditions.
  • Attack Vector: Network
    Vulnerability is exploitable over a network without physical access.
  • Privileges Required: Low
    Some privileges are necessary to exploit the vulnerability.
  • Scope: Unchanged
    Exploit remains within the originally vulnerable component.
  • User Interaction: None
    No user interaction is necessary for exploitation.

CVE-2021-42278 Details

Status: Analyzed

Last updated: 🕤 07 Mar 2025, 21:54 UTC
Originally published on: 🕐 10 Nov 2021, 01:19 UTC

Time between publication and last update: 1213 days

CVSS Release: version 3

CVSS3 Source

secure@microsoft.com

CVSS3 Type

Secondary

CVSS3 Vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVE-2021-42278 Vulnerability Summary

CVE-2021-42278: Active Directory Domain Services Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

Assessing the Risk of CVE-2021-42278

Access Complexity Graph

The exploitability of CVE-2021-42278 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).

Exploitability Analysis for CVE-2021-42278

This vulnerability, CVE-2021-42278, requires a high level of attack complexity and low privileges, making it difficult but not impossible to exploit. Organizations should ensure robust security configurations to mitigate risks.

Understanding AC and PR

A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.

Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.

Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.

CVSS Score Breakdown Chart

Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2021-42278, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.

CIA Impact Analysis

Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2021-42278, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.

  • Confidentiality: High
    Exploiting CVE-2021-42278 can result in unauthorized access to sensitive data, severely compromising data privacy.
  • Integrity: High
    CVE-2021-42278 could allow unauthorized modifications to data, potentially affecting system reliability and trust.
  • Availability: High
    CVE-2021-42278 can disrupt system operations, potentially causing complete denial of service (DoS).

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

The EPSS score estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the near future.

EPSS Score: 0.567% (probability of exploit)

EPSS Percentile: 78.1% (lower percentile = lower relative risk)
This vulnerability is less risky than approximately 21.900000000000006% of others.

CVE-2021-42278 References

External References

CWE Common Weakness Enumeration

NVD-CWE-noinfo

Vulnerable Configurations

  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2004:-:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2004:-:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2008:-:sp2:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2008:-:sp2:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2008:r2:sp1:*:*:*:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2008:r2:sp1:*:*:*:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2012:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2012:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2012:r2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2012:r2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:-:-:*:*:datacenter:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:-:-:*:*:datacenter:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:-:-:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:-:-:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:-:-:*:*:essentials:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:-:-:*:*:essentials:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:-:-:*:*:multipoint_premium_server:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:-:-:*:*:multipoint_premium_server:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:-:-:*:*:datacenter:*:x86:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:-:-:*:*:datacenter:*:x86:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:-:-:*:*:essentials:*:x86:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:-:-:*:*:essentials:*:x86:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:-:-:*:*:multipoint_premium_server:*:x86:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:-:-:*:*:multipoint_premium_server:*:x86:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:-:-:*:*:standard:*:x86:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:-:-:*:*:standard:*:x86:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:10.0.14393.4467:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:10.0.14393.4467:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:10.0.14393.4530:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:10.0.14393.4530:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:10.0.14393.4583:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:10.0.14393.4583:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:10.0.14393.4651:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:10.0.14393.4651:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:10.0.14393.4704:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:10.0.14393.4704:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:-:*:*:*:datacenter:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:-:*:*:*:datacenter:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:-:*:*:*:datacenter:*:x86:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:-:*:*:*:datacenter:*:x86:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:-:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:-:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:-:*:*:*:standard:*:x86:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:-:*:*:*:standard:*:x86:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:10.0.17763.1999:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:10.0.17763.1999:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:10.0.17763.2061:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:10.0.17763.2061:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:10.0.17763.2114:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:10.0.17763.2114:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:10.0.17763.2183:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:10.0.17763.2183:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:10.0.17763.2237:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:10.0.17763.2237:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:-:*:*:*:azure:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:-:*:*:*:azure:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:-:*:*:*:datacenter:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:-:*:*:*:datacenter:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:-:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:-:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.230:*:*:*:azure:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.230:*:*:*:azure:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.230:*:*:*:datacenter:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.230:*:*:*:datacenter:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.230:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.230:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.261:*:*:*:azure:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.261:*:*:*:azure:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.261:*:*:*:datacenter:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.261:*:*:*:datacenter:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.261:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.261:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.288:*:*:*:azure:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.288:*:*:*:azure:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.288:*:*:*:datacenter:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.288:*:*:*:datacenter:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.288:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.288:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.320:*:*:*:azure:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.320:*:*:*:azure:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.320:*:*:*:datacenter:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.320:*:*:*:datacenter:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.320:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:10.0.20348.320:*:*:*:standard:*:x64:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_20h2:-:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
    cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_20h2:-:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*

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