CVE-2021-41379: Microsoft Windows Installer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Reference page built from the source records below, each shown as its source publishes it. Dataset version ref-b7ff4455af36, updated 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z.

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

Name
Microsoft Windows Installer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
Vendor
Microsoft
Product
Windows
Added to the catalog
2022-03-03
Due date for US federal agencies
2022-03-17
Weaknesses
CWE-1386
Catalog version
2026.10.30

Microsoft Windows Installer contains an unspecified vulnerability that allows for privilege escalation.

Required action (CISA)

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Ransomware use: CISA marks this vulnerability as known to be used in ransomware campaigns. CISA does not say which group used it.

Links in CISA's notes

Read on 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z under licence cisa-kev-cc0@b0067899 from https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json

NVD analysis

Status
Analyzed
Published
2021-11-10T01:19:32.127
Last modified
2026-08-19T19:22:46.060
Weaknesses
CWE-59

Windows Installer Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

MetricScoreSeverityVectorScored by
CVSS 3.15.5MEDIUMCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H[email protected] (Secondary)
CVSS 3.17.8HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H[email protected] (Secondary)
CVSS 2.04.6MEDIUMAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P[email protected] (Primary)

References

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.

Read on 2026-11-02T23:41:59.479Z under licence nvd-api-terms-of-use@ff2a5288 from https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?cveId=CVE-2021-41379

CVE record

Title (CNA)
Windows Installer Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
Assigner
microsoft
State
PUBLISHED
Published
2021-11-10T00:46:55.000Z
Updated
2026-08-19T16:26:56.725Z
Problem types
Elevation of Privilege

References

Read on 2026-11-03T01:09:03.156Z under licence cve-terms-of-use@81bfa2f3 from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2021/41xxx/CVE-2021-41379.json

Detection rules (SigmaHQ)

SigmaHQ rules whose own tags name this CVE. Each rule page shows the rule as its author published it.

Defensive techniques (MITRE D3FEND)

D3FEND maps these defensive techniques to the weakness (CWE) that NVD lists for this CVE, through the digital artifacts the weakness affects. D3FEND does not say they stop this vulnerability.

CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')

D3FEND lists no defensive technique for this weakness.

D3FEND ontology version 1.6.0.

Read on 2026-11-02T23:54:08.708Z under licence d3fend-terms-of-use@f98cbc7e from https://d3fend.mitre.org/api/weakness/cwe/CWE-59.json

MITRE D3FEND™ knowledge graph. © 2025 The MITRE Corporation.
"The MITRE Corporation (MITRE) hereby grants you a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use D3FEND for research, development, and commercial purposes. Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy." Terms: https://d3fend.mitre.org/tou/

Sources and licences

  • CISA

    Source: CISA Catalog of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, version 2026.10.30, CC0 1.0. Use of this data does not imply endorsement by CISA or DHS.

    CC0 1.0 Universal

  • National Vulnerability Database (NIST)

    This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.

    NVD API Terms of Use (NIST publications in the public domain, 17 U.S.C. 105)

  • CVE Program, The MITRE Corporation

    Copyright © 1999-2026, The MITRE Corporation. CVE is a trademark and the CVE logo is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation. CVE Usage: MITRE hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE™). Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

    CVE Program Terms of Use ("CVE Usage" licence)

  • SigmaHQ

    "Potential CVE-2021-41379 Exploitation Attempt" by Florian Roth (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules-emerging-threats/2021/Exploits/CVE-2021-41379/proc_creation_win_exploit_cve_2021_41379.yml.
    Licensed under the Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/Detection-Rule-License

    Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1

  • MITRE D3FEND

    MITRE D3FEND™ knowledge graph. © 2025 The MITRE Corporation.
    "The MITRE Corporation (MITRE) hereby grants you a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use D3FEND for research, development, and commercial purposes. Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy." Terms: https://d3fend.mitre.org/tou/

    MITRE D3FEND Terms of Use (site + knowledge graph); source repo MIT

Cite this page

Dragons Eye Ransomware Tracker, "CVE-2021-41379: Microsoft Windows Installer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability",
entity page, dataset version ref-b7ff4455af36, updated 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/cve/CVE-2021-41379 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: CISA Catalog of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, version 2026.10.30.
Underlying source: National Vulnerability Database (NIST), CVE API 2.0, record last modified 2026-08-19T19:22:46.060.
Underlying source: CVE List (CVE Program, The MITRE Corporation), record updated 2026-08-19T16:26:56.725Z.
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule af8bbce4-f751-46b4-8d91-82a33a736f61, commit ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84.
Underlying source: MITRE D3FEND, ontology version 1.6.0.

Pages change. The dataset version identifies the data, but no archive of old versions is kept, so this citation cannot be replayed later.

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