CVE-2021-44206 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

CVE-2021-44206 addresses a local privilege escalation vulnerability in Acronis Media Builder service. The vulnerability affects Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office before build 39612 and Acronis True Image 2021 before build 39287 on Windows.

Understanding CVE-2021-44206

This CVE entry focuses on a DLL hijacking vulnerability that could allow an attacker to elevate privileges locally on Windows systems.

What is CVE-2021-44206?

The vulnerability in the Acronis Media Builder service could be exploited by an attacker to gain elevated privileges on affected Windows systems.

The Impact of CVE-2021-44206

The vulnerability can lead to local privilege escalation, enabling an attacker to execute arbitrary code with elevated permissions on the compromised system.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-44206

This section delves into the specific technical aspects of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The issue stems from a DLL hijacking vulnerability in the Acronis Media Builder service, present in specified versions of Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office and Acronis True Image 2021.

Affected Systems and Versions

Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office (Windows) before build 39612
Acronis True Image 2021 (Windows) before build 39287

Exploitation Mechanism

Exploiting this vulnerability involves manipulating DLL loading to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges and achieve local privilege escalation.

Mitigation and Prevention

Mitigation strategies and steps to prevent exploitation are crucial in safeguarding systems.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update to the latest patched versions of Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office and Acronis True Image 2021 to mitigate the vulnerability.
Monitor for any signs of unauthorized privilege escalation on Windows systems.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement the principle of least privilege to restrict access rights for users and applications.
Regularly conduct security assessments and penetration testing to identify and address vulnerabilities proactively.

Patching and Updates

Keep software and systems up to date with the latest security patches to address known vulnerabilities promptly.