CVE-2021-26415 is an elevation of privilege vulnerability in Windows Installer. The vulnerability allows a local attacker to gain elevated privileges on a Windows system by exploiting improper handling of permissions or access controls within the Windows Installer service. This could allow an attacker with limited access to execute code with higher privileges, potentially leading to full system compromise.
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What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.
What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.
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Patch, then assume compromise.
1 valid exploit after Mallory filtered fakes, detection scripts, and README-only repos.
This repository is a proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit for CVE-2021-26415, a symbolic link attack vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The repository contains a README describing the exploit and a batch script (poc.bat) that demonstrates the attack. The batch script creates a temporary log file, uses the BaitAndSwitch.exe tool (which must be obtained separately) to create a symbolic link, and then runs msiexec to install a crafted MSI file. The exploit attempts to redirect MSI installation logs to the PowerShell profile file via the symbolic link, potentially allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The exploit is local and requires the attacker to have access to the target system to execute the batch file and place the necessary files in specific locations. The repository does not include the BaitAndSwitch.exe binary or the crafted MSI file, but references are provided for obtaining or building them.
Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.
Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.
1 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.
Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.
Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.
YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.
Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.
Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.