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Evidence dossier
CVE-2021-34527
Windows Print Spooler Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
gen-56ccdaf9Normalized restatement
<p>A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Print Spooler service improperly performs privileged file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.</p> <p>UPDATE July 7, 2021: The security update for Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10, Version 1607 have been released. Please see the Security Updates table for the applicable update for your system. We recommend that you install these updates immediately. If you are unable to install these updates, see the FAQ and Workaround sections in this CVE for information on how to help protect your system from this vulnerability.</p> <p>In addition to installing the updates, in order to secure your system, you must confirm that the following registry settings are set to 0 (zero) or are not defined (<strong>Note</strong>: These registry keys do not exist by default, and therefore are already at the secure setting.), also that your Group Policy setting are correct (see FAQ):</p> <ul> <li>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\PointAndPrint</li> <li>NoWarningNoElevationOnInstall = 0 (DWORD) or not defined (default setting)</li> <li>UpdatePromptSettings = 0 (DWORD) or not defined (default setting)</li> </ul> <p><strong>Having NoWarningNoElevationOnInstall set to 1 makes your system vulnerable by design.</strong></p> <p>UPDATE July 6, 2021: Microsoft has completed the investigation and has released security updates to address this vulnerability. Please see the Security Updates table for the applicable update for your system. We recommend that you install these updates immediately. If you are unable to install these updates, see the FAQ and Workaround sections in this CVE for information on how to help protect your system from this vulnerability. See also <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/topic/31b91c02-05bc-4ada-a7ea-183b129578a7">KB5005010: Restricting installation of new printer drivers after applying the July 6, 2021 updates</a>.</p> <p>Note that the security updates released on and after July 6, 2021 contain protections for CVE-2021-1675 and the additional remote code execution exploit in the Windows Print Spooler service known as “PrintNightmare”, documented in CVE-2021-34527.</p>
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Published
- Jul 2, 2021
- Updated
- Jan 12, 2026
- Evidence coverage
- 85%
2026-07-18 · v2026.06.15 · percentile 100.0%
Distinct CVSS assessments remain side by side; none are averaged.
Source comparison
Who said what
Windows Print Spooler Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Microsoft Windows Print Spooler Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Probability 0.997590000000; percentile 0.999550000000
Applicability
Cited product scope
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CVSS by origin
AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:CCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:F/RL:O/RC:CLimitations and unknowns
- KEV membership is authoritative for the catalog, not proof of exposure in any environment.
- EPSS is a dated model probability and not an individual-environment prediction.
- Affected or fixed status applies only to the exact cited product and version scope; unresolved scope remains unknown.
- NVD-carried upstream facts remain derivative and are not independent corroboration.
- Only NVD metrics validated under the generation-bound calculator are Public Priority eligible; direct CVE record metrics remain display-only.
- NVD CVSS source eligibility is closed: NVD-authored, exact record-source, or registered same-CVE container origin; unmapped sources remain display-only.
- Factor D is unknown in Public Core because no accepted canonical mapping-obligation ledger is present.
- Core replay supports the active and immediately prior generation; retrospective valid-at replay is deferred.