Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:HSummary
CVE-2023-21700 is a high-severity NULL Pointer Dereference (CWE-476) vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Server 2008. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Endpoint Denial of Service (T1499); ranked in the top 26% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV 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.
CVE-2023-21700 is a denial-of-service vulnerability in the Windows iSCSI Discovery Service, assigned a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 with the vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H and linked to CWE-476. The flaw permits remote attackers to disrupt the service without authentication or user interaction.
An unauthenticated network attacker can send crafted requests that trigger the vulnerability, resulting in high-impact loss of availability for the affected iSCSI component while leaving confidentiality and integrity unaffected.
Microsoft published an advisory for CVE-2023-21700 that describes the issue and supplies remediation guidance; the advisory is available at the Microsoft Security Response Center link referenced in the CVE record.
The associated EPSS score reached a peak of 0.2664 with no subsequent material increase from that level.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-25867
Vulnerability Data
Windows iSCSI Discovery Service Denial of Service Vulnerability
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
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.
Secure SDLC practices (static analysis, code review, safe coding standards) directly prevent NULL dereference bugs during development.
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.
Security testing can detect NULL dereference defects before release.
Secure SDLC mandates defensive coding practices that can prevent NULL dereferences.
Application security requirements can specify input validation and pointer-safety rules.
Secure architecture principles encourage defensive design that avoids unsafe pointer use.
Secure coding standards directly require NULL-pointer checks and safe dereference patterns.