CVE-2023-21747 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE • 01/11/2023
Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2023-21675, CVE-2023-21748, CVE-2023-21749, CVE-2023-21750, CVE-2023-21754, CVE-2023-21755, CVE-2023-21772, CVE-2023-21773, CVE-2023-21774.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/22/2025
The Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-21747 represents a critical security flaw within the Windows operating system kernel that allows unauthorized users to escalate their privileges from standard user level to system-level access. This vulnerability specifically affects the kernel's privilege management mechanisms and demonstrates a fundamental weakness in how the operating system handles privilege boundaries. The flaw exists in the kernel mode components responsible for processing user requests and managing system resources, creating an opportunity for malicious actors to bypass normal security controls and gain elevated privileges without proper authentication or authorization.
This vulnerability stems from improper validation of privilege levels during kernel operations, particularly in how the system handles certain kernel-mode functions that process user-level requests. The technical implementation flaw allows for privilege escalation through a specific kernel routine that fails to properly verify the calling process's privilege level before executing sensitive operations. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-276: Improper Ownership Setting, as it involves incorrect privilege handling within kernel components, and potentially CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management, which directly addresses the flawed privilege escalation mechanisms. The vulnerability's exploitation requires a local attacker with standard user privileges to execute malicious code that triggers the kernel flaw, ultimately resulting in system compromise and full administrative control.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-21747 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as successful exploitation provides attackers with complete system control and access to all resources, data, and functionalities available to the system administrator. This vulnerability poses significant risk to enterprise environments where standard user accounts are commonly used, as it allows attackers to bypass typical security controls and gain unrestricted access to sensitive systems. The attack vector typically involves a local exploit where an attacker executes malicious code on a target system, leveraging the kernel flaw to elevate privileges and establish persistent access. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1068: Exploitation for Privilege Escalation and T1547: Boot or Logon Autostart Execution, as successful exploitation enables attackers to establish persistence and maintain access to compromised systems. The vulnerability affects multiple Windows versions including Windows 10, Windows 11, and various server operating systems, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where these systems are widely deployed.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Microsoft security updates and patches released to address this vulnerability. The recommended approach involves deploying the security updates through established patch management processes and ensuring all systems are updated promptly to eliminate the exploitation window. Additionally, implementing network segmentation and privilege minimization strategies can help reduce the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual privilege escalation activities and unauthorized code execution within kernel contexts. System administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as application whitelisting, enhanced logging, and regular security assessments to identify and remediate potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and demonstrates the need for comprehensive security monitoring to detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts in real-time.