Security Resilience

CVE-2023-21771

Race Condition in Microsoft Windows 11 21h2 … 22h2

Race Condition
Published
10 January 2023
Modified
21 November 2024
CVSS Score v3.1 7.0
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0040 32th percentile
Risk Priority 52 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2023-21771 is a high-severity Sensitive Data Storage in Improperly Locked Memory (CWE-591) vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 11. Its CVSS base score is 7.0 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Steganography (T1001.002); ranked at the 32th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A06:2025 Insecure Design

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Windows Local Session Manager (LSM) Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

CWE(s)
CWE-591CWE-362

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1001.002 Steganography Command And Control
Adversaries may use steganographic techniques to hide command and control traffic to make detection efforts more difficult.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.002 Security Account Manager Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to extract credential material from the Security Account Manager (SAM) database either through in-memory techniques or through the Windows Registry where the SAM database is stored.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.003 NTDS Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access or create a copy of the Active Directory domain database in order to steal credential information, as well as obtain other information about domain members such as devices, users, and access rights.
attack.mitre.org →
T1010 Application Window Discovery Discovery
Adversaries may attempt to get a listing of open application windows.
attack.mitre.org →
T1011.001 Exfiltration Over Bluetooth Exfiltration
Adversaries may attempt to exfiltrate data over Bluetooth rather than the command and control channel.
attack.mitre.org →
T1012 Query Registry Discovery
Adversaries may interact with the Windows Registry to gather information about the system, configuration, and installed software.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-21766Same product: Microsoft Windows 10
CVE-2023-24899Same product: Microsoft Windows Server 2022
CVE-2023-35310Same product: Microsoft Windows Server 2022
CVE-2023-35346Same product: Microsoft Windows Server 2022
CVE-2023-28278Same product: Microsoft Windows Server 2022
CVE-2025-30394Same product: Microsoft Windows Server 2022
CVE-2023-23393Same product: Microsoft Windows Server 2022
CVE-2023-28273Same product: Microsoft Windows Server 2022
CVE-2023-38159Same product: Microsoft Windows Server 2022
CVE-2024-49123Same product: Microsoft Windows Server 2022

Affected Assets

microsoft
windows 10
20h2, 21h2, 22h2
microsoft
windows 11
21h2, 22h2
microsoft
windows server 2022
all versions

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 1 hardening rule · 1 OS baseline
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)

—

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.

AU-8 Time Stamps
addresses: CWE-362

Accurate timestamps from internal clocks enable detection of race conditions by providing reliable event ordering in audit logs.

PL-6 Security-related Activity Planning
addresses: CWE-362

Coordination of concurrent security activities reduces the probability that shared resources will be accessed simultaneously without proper synchronization.

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.

PR.DS-01 partial match
blocks

PR.DS-01 encryption of data-at-rest can protect swapped pages but does not stop improper memory locking, addressing only one exposure facet of the weakness.

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.

A.8.24 Use of cryptography partial match
degrades

Cryptographic controls can reduce exposure of sensitive data even if it is paged, but do not directly enforce memory locking.

A.8.25 Secure development life cycle partial match
blocks

A.8.25 mandates secure SDLC practices (secure coding guidelines, security requirements, checkpoints, testing including code scans/penetration tests, developer training) that reach race conditions in concurrent code, but only as one slice of a broad requirement whose implementation scope and rigour are left to the organisation.

A.8.26 Application security requirements partial match
removes
A.8.27 Secure system architecture and engineering principles partial match
blocks

Secure architecture principles require proper synchronization and resource isolation, addressing the root cause of CWE-362.

A.8.28 Secure coding partial match
prevents

Secure-coding standards can mandate use of locked-memory APIs, directly preventing the weakness.

A.8.29 Security testing in development and acceptance partial match
finds

Security testing can discover unlocked sensitive buffers, but does not itself implement the locking mechanism.

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-248525 All OL 8 local disk partitions must implement cryptographic mechanisms to prevent unauthorized disclosure or modification of all information that requires at-rest protection. blocks CWE-591

References