CVE-2021-31979: in the CISA KEV catalogue
Microsoft Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. CISA added CVE-2021-31979 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 2021-11-03 with a default due date of 2021-11-17. Known ransomware campaign use: Unknown. Forensic triage flag: No.
Microsoft Windows kernel contains an unspecified vulnerability that allows for privilege escalation. (CISA description)
- Vendor / product
- Microsoft Windows
- CWE
- CWE-119
- CISA required action
- Apply updates per vendor instructions.
- EPSS
- 4.5%, percentile 91 (scored 2026-11-03)
EPSS puts about 4.5 in 100 odds (4.5%) on exploitation activity being observed in the next 30 days. Its score is higher than or equal to that of 91% of scored CVEs. This is a model estimate about exploitation anywhere, not about your environment.
Vendor and reference links (from CISA)
Your own deadline under CISA BOD 26-04 depends on exposure, automatability and technical impact: work it out with the BOD 26-04 calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2021-31979 in the CISA KEV catalogue?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2021-31979 (Microsoft Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability) to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 2021-11-03. CISA's default due date for it is 2021-11-17.
Is CVE-2021-31979 used in ransomware attacks?
CISA marks known ransomware campaign use as Unknown for CVE-2021-31979. That means CISA lacks confirmation, not that ransomware groups do not use it.
What should I do about CVE-2021-31979?
CISA's required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Sources
- CISA, Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog (accessed 2026-11-03)
- FIRST, Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS) (EPSS by FIRST; scores generated by Empirical Security)
- NVD record for CVE-2021-31979