Evidence used
- No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
- EPSS is 0.70% for the current model date.
BlackTreeCVE IntelligenceFull vulnerability report · 2021
CVE-2021-42288High confidence
Windows Hello Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability
Microsoft · Windows 10 Version 1809
5.7MediumCVSS 3.1
Scheduled
Patch availableMedium technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority.
R
Open reassessment dashboard →Operational reassessment
Published severity in operational context
Published severityMedium→Operational priority:Medium, unchanged from published severity.unchanged
Compensating controls
- Validate the affected product branch and deploy the verified fixed release.
- Restrict local access and enforce least privilege on affected hosts.
- Monitor vendor guidance and exploitation sources for a material change.
Verification
- Confirm that the asset runs Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809 and falls inside the recorded affected range.
- Verify the installed build against the product-specific fixed version after deployment.
- Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
- Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Medium technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority.
Patch available01
What, why and how
Windows Hello Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability
What
Windows Hello Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability
Why
The current structured CVE record identifies a security weakness, but the root cause requires confirmation in the linked vendor material.
How
An attacker operating through physical access may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.
What
Windows Hello Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability
Why
The current structured CVE record identifies a security weakness, but the root cause requires confirmation in the linked vendor material.
How
An attacker operating through physical access may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.
02
Exploit reality and attack path
CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.
Observed exploitation No confirmed evidence
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.
Public PoC / exploit material None recorded
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.
- Likely attack path
- physical access → vulnerable operation → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
- Attack surface
- Physical
- Privileges required
- None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High: exploitation depends on specific conditions
- Security boundary
- Unchanged: impact remains within the vulnerable component's security authority
- Weakness
?
CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration. - CWE not yet assigned
- CVSS vector
?
CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity. CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N/E:P/RL:O/RC:CCommon Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.
AVPhysicalAttack vector: The attacker needs physical access to the vulnerable system.ACHighAttack complexity: Successful exploitation depends on specific conditions outside the attacker's direct control.PRNonePrivileges required: The attacker does not need an account or existing privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.SUnchangedScope: The security impact remains within the vulnerable component's authority.CHighConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.IHighIntegrity impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.ANoneAvailability impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.- Post-exploitation / living off the land
- No specific living-off-the-land technique is confirmed in the structured sources. Monitor normal administration tools for activity inconsistent with the affected service's baseline.
03
Patch and workaround
Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.
- Status
?
Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change. - Patch available
- Affected
- Windows 10 Version 1809: 10.0.17763.0 < 10.0.17763.2300, 10.0.0 < 10.0.17763.2300
- Windows 10 Version 1909: 10.0.0 < 10.0.18363.1916
- Windows 10 Version 2004: 10.0.0 < 10.0.19041.1348
- Windows 10 Version 20H2: 10.0.0 < 10.0.19042.1348
- Windows 10 Version 21H1: 10.0.0 < 10.0.19043.1348
- Windows Server 2019: 10.0.17763.0 < 10.0.17763.2300
- Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation): 10.0.17763.0 < 10.0.17763.2300
- Windows Server version 2004: 10.0.0 < 10.0.19041.1348
- Windows Server version 20H2: 10.0.0 < 10.0.19041.1348
- Action
- Review the linked authoritative reference and apply the recorded fixed release appropriate to the affected product branch.
- Workaround
- No verified workaround is recorded. Limit untrusted access and use least privilege until authoritative guidance is available.
04
Evidence and provenance
Published 10 Nov 2021 · Last source change 19 Aug 2026, 16:27 UTC · CWE not yet assigned
CVE recordCVE.org · 5.2
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source FIRST · tracked since 2026-08-14
?
The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2021-29263
Product sourceCNA
Remediation sourceCVE/CNA references
CWE sourceUnavailable
NVD statusNVD modified after enrichment
Missing structured fields: CWE classification. Missing data is not evidence of low risk; review the primary advisory.
Material change intelligence
View recent updates ↗What changed after publication
- Vendor guidanceAuthoritative vendor guidance changed: added remediation: portal.msrc.microsoft.com/CVE-2021-42288; removed patch: msrc.microsoft.com/CVE-2021-42288; removed remediation: msrc.microsoft.com/CVE-2021-42288.portal.msrc.microsoft.com ↗
- Before
- patch: msrc.microsoft.com/CVE-2021-42288 · patch: portal.msrc.microsoft.com/CVE-2021-42288 · remediation: msrc.microsoft.com/CVE-2021-42288
- After
- patch: portal.msrc.microsoft.com/CVE-2021-42288 · remediation: portal.msrc.microsoft.com/CVE-2021-42288
- Vendor guidanceAuthoritative vendor guidance changed: added patch: msrc.microsoft.com/CVE-2021-42288; added remediation: msrc.microsoft.com/CVE-2021-42288; removed remediation: portal.msrc.microsoft.com/CVE-2021-42288.msrc.microsoft.com ↗
- Before
- patch: portal.msrc.microsoft.com/CVE-2021-42288 · remediation: portal.msrc.microsoft.com/CVE-2021-42288
- After
- patch: msrc.microsoft.com/CVE-2021-42288 · patch: portal.msrc.microsoft.com/CVE-2021-42288 · remediation: msrc.microsoft.com/CVE-2021-42288
- Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.CNA ↗
- Before
- 10.0.0 < 10.0.17763.2300; 10.0.0 < 10.0.18363.1916; 10.0.0 < 10.0.19043.1348; 10.0.0 < 10.0.19041.1348; 10.0.0 < 10.0.19042.1348 · Fixed: An authoritative update reference is available, but the fixed version is not recorded in the structured CVE fields. Check the linked vendor advisory for the applicable release.
- After
- 10.0.17763.0 < 10.0.17763.2300; 10.0.0 < 10.0.17763.2300; 10.0.0 < 10.0.18363.1916; 10.0.0 < 10.0.19041.1348; 10.0.0 < 10.0.19042.1348; 10.0.0 < 10.0.19043.1348 · Fixed: An authoritative update reference is available, but the fixed version is not recorded in the structured CVE fields. Check the linked vendor advisory for the applicable release.
CVE published
Fixed release or patch reference recorded
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
- CVE
- Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
- CVSS
- Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
- EPSS
- Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
- CWE
- Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
- CNA
- CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
- CISA ADP
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
- NVD
- National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
- CERT / CSIRT
- A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
- PoC
- Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
- CSAF
- Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
- LoTL
- Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.