CVE-2023-21674
Memory Safety in Microsoft Windows 10 1507 ≤ 10.0.10240.19685
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:HCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2023-21674 is a high-severity Use After Free (CWE-416) vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10 1507. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique OS Credential Dumping (T1003); ranked in the top 1% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
Windows Advanced Local Procedure Call (ALPC) contains an elevation-of-privilege vulnerability tracked as CVE-2023-21674 and assigned CWE-416. The flaw resides in a core Windows kernel component and carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 8.8, reflecting local attack vector, low complexity, and low privileges required.
An authenticated local attacker can trigger the use-after-free condition to obtain SYSTEM-level privileges on an affected Windows system, resulting in full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability with scope change across security boundaries.
Microsoft has published patches through its Security Response Center update guide, and the vulnerability appears in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, confirming in-the-wild exploitation. The associated EPSS score has remained essentially flat near 0.20 since disclosure, indicating no material post-publication surge in observed exploitation attempts.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-25841
Vulnerability Data
Windows Advanced Local Procedure Call (ALPC) Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
- CWE(s)
- KEV Date Added
- 10 January 2023
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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- 3 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
V1.4.3
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Use-after-free exploits that achieve arbitrary code execution are blocked or significantly hardened by non-executable pages and ASLR.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Vulnerability identification processes can discover use-after-free issues via scanning or analysis but do not prevent their introduction.
Routine patching removes known use-after-free instances after they have been introduced in released software.
Secure SDLC practices directly incorporate memory-safety tooling and reviews that prevent most use-after-free defects.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (higher-evidence rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).
Oracle Linux 8 (1 rule)
- V-248592 OL 8 must clear memory when it is freed to prevent use-after-free attacks. blocks CWE-416
RHEL 8 (1 rule)
- V-230279 RHEL 8 must clear memory when it is freed to prevent use-after-free attacks. blocks CWE-416
RHEL 9 (1 rule)
- V-257794 RHEL 9 must clear memory when it is freed to prevent use-after-free attacks. blocks CWE-416