CVE-2022-21838: Microsoft Windows SilentCleanup Link Following Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

First published: Tue Jan 11 2022(Updated: )

This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of Microsoft Windows. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the SilentCleanup scheduled task. By creating a symbolic link, an attacker can abuse the task to delete a folder. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of SYSTEM.

Credit: secure@microsoft.com secure@microsoft.com

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