CVE-2021-31956

An unpatched privilege escalation flaw in Windows NTFS allowed attackers to gain elevated access via a crafted application.

This unpatched vulnerability in Windows NTFS enabled privilege escalation, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. For DIB organizations, this represents a critical compliance gap under NIST 800-171, as it violates the requirement to patch known vulnerabilities and maintain system integrity. Organizations must ensure all Windows systems are updated promptly and monitor for exploitation attempts.

Shame score — The vulnerability remained unpatched long enough to be added to CISA's KEV catalog, indicating a failure to address a known, exploitable flaw that could lead to system compromise.