CVE-2021-31166

CRITICAL KEV RANSOMWARE LAB

Windows IIS HTTP Protocol Stack DOS

Title source: metasploit
STIX 2.1

Exploitation Summary

CVE-2021-31166 is actively exploited and listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added April 6, 2022, with confirmed use in ransomware campaigns. EIP tracks 19 public exploits from researchers including 0vercl0k, ZZ-SOCMAP, corelight, including a Metasploit module auxiliary/dos/windows/http/http_sys_accept_encoding_dos_cve_2021_31166.

AI-analyzed exploit summary This repository contains a functional proof-of-concept exploit for CVE-2021-31166, a use-after-free vulnerability in HTTP.sys. The exploit triggers a kernel crash by sending a crafted HTTP request with a malformed 'Accept-Encoding' header, demonstrating the vulnerability in affected Windows versions.

Description

HTTP Protocol Stack Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Exploits (19)

nomisec WORKING POC 829 stars
by 0vercl0k · dos
https://github.com/0vercl0k/CVE-2021-31166

This repository contains a functional proof-of-concept exploit for CVE-2021-31166, a use-after-free vulnerability in HTTP.sys. The exploit triggers a kernel crash by sending a crafted HTTP request with a malformed 'Accept-Encoding' header, demonstrating the vulnerability in affected Windows versions.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Dos
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft HTTP Protocol Stack (HTTP.sys) on Windows 10/Server 2004/20H2
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the target system · HTTP.sys enabled on the target
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 19 stars
by ZZ-SOCMAP · poc
https://github.com/ZZ-SOCMAP/CVE-2021-31166

This repository contains a functional proof-of-concept exploit for CVE-2021-31166, a remote Use-After-Free (UAF) vulnerability in HTTP.sys. The exploit sends a crafted HTTP request with a malformed 'Accept-Encoding' header to trigger a denial-of-service (DoS) condition, causing the target system to crash and reboot.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Dos
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft HTTP.sys (Windows HTTP Protocol Stack)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the target system · HTTP.sys exposed and vulnerable
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec SCANNER 13 stars
by corelight · poc
https://github.com/corelight/CVE-2021-31166

This repository provides detection mechanisms (Suricata rule and Zeek package) for CVE-2021-31166, a Windows HTTP Protocol Stack vulnerability, but does not include functional exploit code. It includes example logs and alerts generated by these detection tools.

Classification
Scanner 90%
Attack Type
Dos
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft Windows HTTP Protocol Stack
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to target system · Ability to send crafted HTTP requests
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 8 stars
by zha0gongz1 · dos
https://github.com/zha0gongz1/CVE-2021-31166

This repository contains a functional PoC for CVE-2021-31166, a use-after-free vulnerability in HTTP.sys. The exploit sends a crafted HTTP request with a malformed 'Accept-Encoding' header to trigger a crash in vulnerable Windows systems.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Dos
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft HTTP.sys (Windows 10/Server 2004/20H2)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the target system
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec SCANNER 7 stars
by 0xmaximus · dos
https://github.com/0xmaximus/Home-Demolisher

The repository contains a scanner for CVE-2022-21907, which checks for a DoS vulnerability in IIS servers by sending a malformed 'Accept-Encoding' header. The script verifies if the server crashes after sending the payload.

Classification
Scanner 90%
Attack Type
Dos
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft IIS Server
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the target IIS server
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 7 stars
by y0g3sh-99 · dos
https://github.com/y0g3sh-99/CVE-2021-31166-Exploit

The repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2021-31166, which targets a vulnerability in the Microsoft HTTP Protocol Stack (Http.sys). The exploit sends a crafted 'Accept-Encoding' header to trigger a denial-of-service (DoS) condition, causing a blue screen error and system reboot.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Dos
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft HTTP Protocol Stack (Http.sys) on Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 (20h2 and 2004 releases)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the target system · Target system running a vulnerable version of Windows
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
github WORKING POC 6 stars
by Y5neKO · pythonpoc
https://github.com/Y5neKO/ExpAndPoc_Collection/tree/main/CVE-2021-31166

This repository contains a functional proof-of-concept exploit for CVE-2021-31166, a use-after-free vulnerability in HTTP.sys. The exploit triggers a kernel crash (BSOD) by sending a crafted HTTP request with a malformed 'Accept-Encoding' header.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Dos
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft HTTP Protocol Stack (http.sys) on Windows 10/Server 2004/20H2
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the target system · HTTP.sys enabled on the target
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 27, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 5 stars
by zecopro · dos
https://github.com/zecopro/CVE-2021-31166

The repository contains a functional bash script that exploits CVE-2021-31166, an HTTP request smuggling vulnerability in IIS servers. The script sends a malformed HTTP request with a crafted 'Accept-encoding' header to trigger the vulnerability.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft IIS Server
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Target URL of an IIS server
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec SCANNER 3 stars
by mvlnetdev · poc
https://github.com/mvlnetdev/CVE-2021-31166-detection-rules

This repository provides detection rules for Suricata, Snort, and Zeek to identify exploitation attempts of CVE-2021-31166, an HTTP Protocol Stack Remote Code Execution vulnerability in Windows. It includes network-based detection logic but does not contain exploit code.

Classification
Scanner 90%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows HTTP Protocol Stack (IIS, WinRM, WSDAPI) on Windows 10/Server 2004/20H2
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to vulnerable Windows host · Vulnerable HTTP Protocol Stack (IIS, WinRM, or WSDAPI)
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec SUSPICIOUS 2 stars
by iranzai · poc
https://github.com/iranzai/CVE-2021-31166-exploit

The repository contains only a README with a list of affected versions for CVE-2021-31166 but no actual exploit code, technical details, or proof-of-concept. It appears to be a placeholder or lure without substantive content.

Classification
Suspicious 90%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Theoretical
Reliability
Theoretical
Target: Microsoft Windows 10 (versions 2004, 20H2) and Windows Server (versions 2004, 20H2)
No auth needed
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 19, 2026 Full analysis →
gitlab WORKING POC
by securitystuffbackup · poc
https://gitlab.com/securitystuffbackup/CVE-2021-31166

This repository contains a functional proof-of-concept exploit for CVE-2021-31166, a use-after-free vulnerability in the HTTP Protocol Stack (http.sys) in Windows. The exploit triggers a kernel crash by sending a crafted HTTP request with a malformed 'Accept-Encoding' header, leading to a LIST_ENTRY corruption and a KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE bugcheck.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Dos
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows HTTP Protocol Stack (http.sys) on Windows 10 Version 2004/20H2 and Windows Server 2004/20H2
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the target system · HTTP.sys enabled on the target
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 23, 2026 Full analysis →
gitlab WORKING POC
by securitystuffbackup · poc
https://gitlab.com/securitystuffbackup/CVE-2021-31166-2

This repository contains a functional proof-of-concept exploit for CVE-2021-31166, a use-after-free vulnerability in the HTTP Protocol Stack (http.sys) in Windows. The exploit triggers a kernel crash by sending a crafted HTTP request with a malformed 'Accept-Encoding' header, leading to a LIST_ENTRY corruption and a KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE bugcheck.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Dos
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows HTTP Protocol Stack (http.sys) on Windows 10 Version 2004/20H2 and Windows Server 2004/20H2
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the target system · Target system running an affected version of Windows with http.sys exposed
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 23, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by bgsilvait · poc
https://github.com/bgsilvait/WIn-CVE-2021-31166

This repository provides a functional proof-of-concept for CVE-2021-31166, a use-after-free vulnerability in http.sys. It includes Terraform scripts to deploy a vulnerable Windows Server 20H2 environment and a curl command to trigger the vulnerability via a malformed Accept-Encoding header.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft HTTP Protocol Stack (http.sys) on Windows Server 20H2
No auth needed
Prerequisites: AWS account with permissions to create EC2 instances and ALB · Terraform installed
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
metasploit WORKING POC
by Max, Stefan Blair, Axel Souchet · rubypocwin
https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/auxiliary/dos/windows/http/http_sys_accept_encoding_dos_cve_2021_31166.rb

This Metasploit module exploits CVE-2021-31166, a use-after-free (UAF) vulnerability in Windows IIS HTTP Protocol Stack (http.sys) by sending a maliciously crafted Accept-Encoding header, resulting in a denial-of-service (BSOD) on vulnerable systems.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Dos
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft IIS (Windows HTTP Protocol Stack, http.sys)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the target IIS server
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
patchapalooza WORKING POC
by liang2kl · dos
https://github.com/liang2kl/iot-exploits

This repository contains functional exploit code for CVE-2021-31166, a Windows HTTP Protocol Stack Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. The exploit includes a Python script (`exp.py`) and supporting files for environment setup, demonstrating the vulnerability in a controlled manner.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows 10 20H2 HTTP Protocol Stack
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Windows 10 20H2 target system · Network access to the target
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 23, 2026 Full analysis →
patchapalooza WORKING POC
by mauricelambert · dos
https://github.com/mauricelambert/CVE-2021-31166

This repository contains functional exploit code for CVE-2021-31166, a DoS vulnerability in Microsoft IIS. The scripts (PowerShell, Ruby, Python) send malformed 'Accept-Encoding' headers to trigger a Blue Screen crash.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Dos
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft IIS (versions affected by CVE-2021-31166)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: network access to target IIS server
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 23, 2026 Full analysis →
patchapalooza WORKING POC
by ckz-code · poc
https://gitee.com/ckz-code/CVE-2021-31166

This repository contains a functional proof-of-concept exploit for CVE-2021-31166, a use-after-free vulnerability in the HTTP Protocol Stack (http.sys) in Windows. The exploit triggers a kernel crash by sending a crafted HTTP request with a malformed 'Accept-Encoding' header, leading to a LIST_ENTRY corruption and a KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE bugcheck.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Dos
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft Windows HTTP Protocol Stack (http.sys)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the target system · HTTP service (e.g., IIS, WinRM, WSDAPI) running on the target
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 23, 2026 Full analysis →
patchapalooza WORKING POC
by mirrors_trending · poc
https://gitee.com/mirrors_trending/CVE-2021-31166

This repository contains a functional proof-of-concept exploit for CVE-2021-31166, a use-after-free vulnerability in HTTP.sys. The exploit triggers a kernel security check failure by sending a crafted HTTP request with a malformed 'Accept-Encoding' header.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft HTTP Protocol Stack (HTTP.sys) on Windows 10/Server 2004/20H2
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the target system · HTTP.sys enabled on the target
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 23, 2026 Full analysis →
patchapalooza WORKING POC
by ljygit123 · poc
https://gitee.com/ljygit123/CVE-2021-31166

This repository contains a functional proof-of-concept exploit for CVE-2021-31166, a use-after-free vulnerability in Microsoft's HTTP Protocol Stack (http.sys). The exploit triggers a kernel crash by sending a crafted HTTP request with a malformed 'Accept-Encoding' header, leading to a LIST_ENTRY corruption and a KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE bugcheck.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Dos
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft HTTP Protocol Stack (http.sys) on Windows
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the target system · Target system running a vulnerable version of http.sys
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 23, 2026 Full analysis →

Scores

CVSS v3 9.8
EPSS 0.9307
EPSS Percentile 99.8%
Attack Vector NETWORK
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CISA SSVC

Vulnrichment
Exploitation active
Automatable yes
Technical Impact total

Lab Environment

COMMUNITY SUSPICIOUS
Community Lab
docker pull vulhub/struts2:2.5.25
docker pull liang2kl/fat-docker
docker pull liang2kl/fap-docker:2.3.1
docker pull vulhub/rocketmq:5.1.0
+11 more repos

Details

CISA KEV 2022-04-06
VulnCheck KEV 2022-03-24
InTheWild.io 2022-04-06
ENISA EUVD EUVD-2021-18079
Ransomware Use Confirmed
CWE
CWE-416
Status published
Products (4)
microsoft/windows_10_2004 < 10.0.19041.982
microsoft/windows_10_20h2 < 10.0.19042.982
microsoft/windows_server_2004 < 10.0.19041.982
microsoft/windows_server_20h2 < 10.0.19042.982
Published May 11, 2021
KEV Added Apr 06, 2022
Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026