{"id":"CVE-2022-21919","published":"2022-01-11T21:15:13Z","modified":"2026-06-17T04:27:16Z","title":"Microsoft Windows User Profile Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability","vendor":"Microsoft","product":"Windows","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"Windows User Profile Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"A privilege escalation flaw in the Windows User Profile Service, a component of Microsoft Windows, stems from improper link resolution before file access, where the service follows junction or mount point links unsafely. An attacker with local access and low-privileged credentials can exploit it without user interaction, using high attack complexity, to gain elevated privileges with high impact to confidentiality, integrity and availability.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-23T07:14:27Z"},"cvss":{"score":7.0,"severity":"HIGH","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.02434,"percentile":0.84226,"date":"2026-10-29","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2022-04-25","dueDate":"2022-05-16","ransomware":false,"requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","notes":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-21919","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2022-04-25","exploitedFirstSeen":"2022-04-25","ransomware":false,"evidence":[{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2022-04-25"},{"url":"https://mandiant.widen.net/s/dlzgn6w26n/m-trends-2023","date":"2023-04-18"},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-08/CSRB_Lapsus%24_508c.pdf","date":"2023-08-10"}],"evidenceTotal":3,"provenance":"source"},"exploited":true,"otx":{"pulseCount":50,"pulses":[{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae20c1db17e7057ae7d9ad1","created":"2026-10-28"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae0ba7e0e2a97ff7b218819","created":"2026-10-27"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adf68b85c3e852f3c111d18","created":"2026-10-26"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adb740e397c3ad4799aa4cd","created":"2026-10-23"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ada236fcfba2dfa730ea482","created":"2026-10-22"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad8d33a077cbb5cab524d80","created":"2026-10-21"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 21, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad78130c4d1ac2be83a8b6d","created":"2026-10-20"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 20, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad62f63c24a405a3423cc13","created":"2026-10-19"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 19, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad4dda174e5797d0bd238b7","created":"2026-10-18"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 18, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad38c22e1848f8189d1c121","created":"2026-10-17"}],"provenance":"machine"},"cwes":[{"id":"CWE-59","name":"Improper Link Resolution Before File Access"},{"id":"CWE-1386","name":"Insecure Operation on Windows Junction / Mount Point"}],"references":[{"url":"https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2022-21919","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2022-21919","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2022-21919","tags":["US Government Resource"]}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1078","name":"Valid Accounts","tactics":["initial-access","persistence","privilege-escalation","stealth"],"provenance":"source","basis":"ctid-kev","bases":["ctid-kev"],"basisDetail":"CTID Mappings Explorer KEV 07/28/2025 (ATT&CK 16.1); capability: Privilege Escalation","mappingType":"exploitation_technique","evidence":[],"comment":"This vulnerability is exploited by an adversary who has already gained local access to the victim system. The adversary gains access to the vulnerability either by social engineering, a separate exploit, or malware. Exploiting this vulnerability grants the adversary elevated privileges on the victim system. \n\nThis vulnerability has been identified as being exploited in the wild; however, technical details of how the vulnerability has been leveraged by a hacker or APT have not been publicly released. ","confidence":"high"},{"id":"T1068","name":"Exploitation for Privilege Escalation","tactics":["privilege-escalation"],"provenance":"source","basis":"ctid-kev","bases":["ctid-kev"],"basisDetail":"CTID Mappings Explorer KEV 07/28/2025 (ATT&CK 16.1); capability: Privilege Escalation","mappingType":"primary_impact","evidence":[],"comment":"This vulnerability is exploited by an adversary who has already gained local access to the victim system. The adversary gains access to the vulnerability either by social engineering, a separate exploit, or malware. Exploiting this vulnerability grants the adversary elevated privileges on the victim system. \n\nThis vulnerability has been identified as being exploited in the wild; however, technical details of how the vulnerability has been leveraged by a hacker or APT have not been publicly released. ","confidence":"high"}],"reports":[],"affected":[],"advisories":[],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2022-27075","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2022-27075","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2022-04-25","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[],"exploitSources":null,"detections":{"cveRules":[{"title":"Potential Exploitation of CVE-2022-21919 or CVE-2021-34484 for LPE","id":"52a85084-6989-40c3-8f32-091e12e17692","level":"low","status":"test","path":"rules-emerging-threats/2022/Exploits/CVE-2022-21919/win_system_exploit_cve_2022_21919_or_cve_2021_34484.yml","url":"https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules-emerging-threats/2022/Exploits/CVE-2022-21919/win_system_exploit_cve_2022_21919_or_cve_2021_34484.yml","techniques":[]}]},"exploitRefs":[],"flow":[{"stage":"exploitation","techniques":["T1078"],"provenance":"source"},{"stage":"primary","techniques":["T1068"],"provenance":"source"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2022-01-11","kind":"published","label":"Published (NVD)","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-21919","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2022-04-25","kind":"exploited-reported","label":"Exploitation first reported (VulnCheck KEV evidence)","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2022-04-25","kind":"kev","label":"Added to CISA KEV","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2022-04-25","kind":"euvd-exploited","label":"ENISA EUVD: exploited","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2022-27075","provenance":"source"}],"speed":{"daysToPublicExploit":null,"firstExploitFrom":null,"daysToKev":104},"priority":{"score":59.7,"factors":[{"name":"In a KEV catalog","points":35.0,"detail":"listed in CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV"},{"name":"Recent KEV listing","points":0.0,"detail":"added 1648 days ago"},{"name":"Known ransomware use","points":0.0,"detail":"not known"},{"name":"EPSS percentile","points":16.85,"detail":"percentile 0.8423"},{"name":"Named in threat reports","points":0.0,"detail":"0 reports"},{"name":"Public exploit code","points":0.0,"detail":"none found"},{"name":"Mentioned in OTX pulses","points":3.0,"detail":"50 pulses"},{"name":"CVSS severity","points":4.9,"detail":"base score 7.0"},{"name":"End-of-life product","points":0.0,"detail":"supported or unknown"}]},"lineage":{"familyId":"fam-class-microsoft-windows-cwe-59"}}