dbcve.org
Rtsupx Usb Utility DriverApplication · Realtek

CVE-2021-36922

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-11-02
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 1.14.0.0 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
RtsUpx.sys in Realtek RtsUpx USB Utility Driver for Camera/Hub/Audio through 1.14.0.0 allows local low-privileged users to achieve unauthorized access to USB devices (Escalation of Privileges, Denial of Service, Code Execution, and Information Disclosure) via a crafted Device IO Control packet to a device.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The Realtek RtsUpx USB Utility Driver (RtsUpx.sys) versions through 1.14.0.0 improperly validates incoming Device I/O Control (IOCTL) packets, allowing local low-privilege users to send crafted requests that can result in Escalation of Privileges, Denial of Service, Code Execution, and Information Disclosure.

MitigationUpdate the Realtek RtsUpx driver to a patched version after vendor release, or if no patch is available, restrict or disable the driver if not required for business operations.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Rtsupx Usb Utility DriverApplication
Affected:<= 1.14.0.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Locate the RtsUpx.sys driver file
    Search for RtsUpx.sys on the system using file search tools or command: `dir /s /b C:\Windows\System32\drivers\RtsUpx.sys 2>nul`
    Affected if The file exists on the system - the driver is installed
  2. Retrieve the driver version
    Right-click the driver file, select Properties, then the Details tab to view File Version; or use PowerShell: `(Get-Item "C:\Windows\System32\drivers\RtsUpx.sys").VersionInfo.FileVersion`
    Affected if The version displayed is 1.14.0.0 or lower (any version through 1.14.0.0 is affected)
  3. Check if the driver is currently loaded
    Run `sc query RtsUpx` or check via PowerShell: `Get-Service -Name RtsUpx -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue`
    Affected if The service exists and is in Running or Stopped state - the driver is present and loadable
  4. Identify driver usage context
    Review installed USB device software or driver packages from OEM/Realtek that may install this driver; check Add/Remove Programs or device manager for Realtek USB utility components
    Affected if Realtek USB utility or RtsUpx-related software is installed - the driver is likely in use

The system is affected if RtsUpx.sys is present with any version through 1.14.0.0, as the driver contains the IOCTL validation flaw regardless of whether it is currently loaded.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 1.14.0.0
Interim mitigation

Update the Realtek RtsUpx driver to a patched version after vendor release, or if no patch is available, restrict or disable the driver if not required for business operations.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest available RtsUpx driver version from Realtek (newer than 1.14.0.0)

  1. 1. Visit the official Realtek support website (www.realtek.com) and navigate to the drivers/downloads section for USB utility drivers
  2. 2. Locate the RtsUpx USB Utility Driver and check for any versions newer than 1.14.0.0
  3. 3. Download the latest available version of the driver from Realtek's official source only
  4. 4. Before installation, create a system restore point as a precaution
  5. 5. Uninstall the current vulnerable RtsUpx.sys driver version
  6. 6. Install the updated driver version from Realtek
  7. 7. Reboot the system to ensure the new driver loads properly
  8. 8. Verify the installed driver version matches the patched release
Caveat Driver updates may require system reboot; verify compatibility with camera/hub/audio device functionality after update

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Rtsupx Usb Utility Driver Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,720
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,752.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-36922 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-36922 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data