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Windows 10Operating system · Microsoft

CVE-2022-21863

HIGH · 7.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-01-11
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
72/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
Windows StateRepository API Server file Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

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 · moderate confidence

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the Windows StateRepository API Server component that allows a locally authenticated attacker to gain elevated access through improper file handling operations.

MitigationApply the applicable Windows security update (KB5009557 for January 2022 or subsequent cumulative updates) to patch the StateRepository vulnerability.

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
Windows 10Operating system
Affected:= 20h2= 21h1= 21h2= 1607= 1809= 1909
Windows ServerOperating system
Affected:= 20h2= 2022
Windows Server 2016Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows Server 2019Operating system
Affected:all versions

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
High
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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. Check Windows version and build number
    Run 'winver' or 'systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"' to obtain the exact Windows build. For Windows 10, look for builds corresponding to 20h2, 21h1, 21h2, 1607, 1809, or 1909. For Windows Server, look for 20h2 or 2022. For Windows Server 2016 or 2019, all versions are affected.
    Affected if The installed Windows version matches any of the listed affected versions (10 20h2/21h1/21h2/1607/1809/1909, Server 20h2/2022, Server 2016 all, Server 2019 all)
  2. Verify StateRepository service is present
    Open Services console (services.msc) or run 'Get-Service StateRepository' in PowerShell to check if the StateRepository service exists on the system.
    Affected if The StateRepository service is installed and present on the system
  3. Confirm StateRepository service is running
    Run 'Get-Service StateRepository' or check the service status in services.msc. The service runs as StateRepository Service (StateRepository).
    Affected if The StateRepository service is running or set to start automatically
  4. Check for exposed StateRepository API endpoint
    The StateRepository API Server typically listens on a local named pipe or HTTP endpoint. Run 'netstat -ano | findstr "StateRepository"' or inspect the service configuration in Registry under HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\StateRepository to see the service binary and startup type.
    Affected if The StateRepository service is running and bound to a network endpoint or accessible via IPC that a local user could interact with

You are affected if your Windows version matches the affected list AND the StateRepository service is running on your system, allowing a locally authenticated attacker to interact with the API and elevate privileges through improper file handling.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the applicable Windows security update (KB5009557 for January 2022 or subsequent cumulative updates) to patch the StateRepository vulnerability.

Recommended fix High confidence

January 2022 Security Updates (KB5009543, KB5009545, KB5009546, KB5009555, or KB5009557 depending on Windows version)

  1. Identify your Windows version by running 'winver' or 'systeminfo' in Command Prompt
  2. Open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update
  3. Click 'Check for updates' to download and install the January 2022 security updates
  4. Alternatively, navigate to the Microsoft Update Catalog (catalog.update.microsoft.com) and search for KB5009543 (Windows 10 20h2/21h1/21h2) or KB5009545 (Windows 10 1607) or KB5009546 (Windows Server 2019/20h2) or KB5009555 (Windows Server 2022) or KB5009557 (Windows Server 2016)
  5. Download and install the appropriate security update for your Windows version
  6. Restart the computer when prompted to complete the installation
  7. Verify the update was installed by checking Windows Update history

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

Fix this in Windows 10 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,190
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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-2022-21863 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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