CVE-2021-36934

HIGH KEV LAB

Windows 10 1809-21H1 - Elevation of Privilege via Overly Permissive ACLs on SAM Database

Title source: llm
STIX 2.1

Exploitation Summary

CVE-2021-36934 is actively exploited and listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added February 10, 2022. EIP tracks 29 public exploits from researchers including HuskyHacks, WiredPulse, JoranSlingerland.

AI-analyzed exploit summary ShadowSteal is a Nim-based exploit for CVE-2021-36934 (SeriousSAM), which leverages improper permissions on Windows Volume Shadow Copies to extract SAM, System, and Security registry hives for credential theft. The tool automates enumeration and exfiltration via a Docker-based build environment.

Description

<p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists because of overly permissive Access Control Lists (ACLs) on multiple system files, including the Security Accounts Manager (SAM) database. 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>An attacker must have the ability to execute code on a victim system to exploit this vulnerability.</p> <p>After installing this security update, you <em>must</em> manually delete all shadow copies of system files, including the SAM database, to fully mitigate this vulnerabilty. <strong>Simply installing this security update will not fully mitigate this vulnerability.</strong> See <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/topic/1ceaa637-aaa3-4b58-a48b-baf72a2fa9e7">KB5005357- Delete Volume Shadow Copies</a>.</p>

Exploits (29)

nomisec WORKING POC 213 stars
by HuskyHacks · local
https://github.com/HuskyHacks/ShadowSteal

ShadowSteal is a Nim-based exploit for CVE-2021-36934 (SeriousSAM), which leverages improper permissions on Windows Volume Shadow Copies to extract SAM, System, and Security registry hives for credential theft. The tool automates enumeration and exfiltration via a Docker-based build environment.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Lpe
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows 10/11 (Volume Shadow Copy Service)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Volume Shadow Copy Service enabled · Local user access
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 35 stars
by WiredPulse · local
https://github.com/WiredPulse/Invoke-HiveNightmare

This PowerShell script exploits CVE-2021-36934 (HiveNightmare) by copying SAM, SOFTWARE, and SYSTEM registry hives from Volume Shadow Copies, allowing a standard user to retrieve sensitive registry data. The exploit leverages improper access control on Windows 10 1809+ systems.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Info Leak
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows 10 version 1809 and newer
Auth required
Prerequisites: Volume Shadow Copies must exist on the target system · Standard user privileges
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 10 stars
by JoranSlingerland · poc
https://github.com/JoranSlingerland/CVE-2021-36934

This PowerShell script checks for and remediates CVE-2021-36934, a vulnerability in Windows where the Local Users group has improper permissions on system files, allowing privilege escalation. It verifies permissions, deletes shadow copies, and reconfigures access controls.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Lpe
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft Windows (multiple versions)
Auth required
Prerequisites: Administrator privileges to run the script · Vulnerable Windows system with improper permissions on system files
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 9 stars
by romarroca · poc
https://github.com/romarroca/SeriousSam

This PowerShell script exploits CVE-2021-36934 (SeriousSam/HiveNightmare) by copying SAM and SYSTEM registry hives from Volume Shadow Copies, allowing local privilege escalation via credential extraction. It checks for vulnerable permissions and copies files from shadow copies to the current directory.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Lpe
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows 10, Windows 11 (versions prior to patch)
Auth required
Prerequisites: Local access to the system · Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) enabled · Vulnerable permissions on SAM/SYSTEM hives
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 8 stars
by Wh04m1001 · local
https://github.com/Wh04m1001/VSSCopy

This repository contains a functional proof-of-concept exploit for CVE-2021-36934, which leverages improper access control in Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to copy sensitive system hive files (SAM, SYSTEM, SECURITY) from shadow copies to an attacker-controlled location. The exploit uses native Windows API calls to enumerate and access shadow copy devices.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Info Leak
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft Windows (affected versions include Windows 10, Windows Server 2019, and others with VSS enabled)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) must be enabled on the target system · Local access to the target system
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec STUB 7 stars
by exploitblizzard · poc
https://github.com/exploitblizzard/CVE-2021-36934

The repository contains only a minimal README with the CVE identifier and a brief description ('HiveNightmare aka SeriousSAM') but no exploit code, technical details, or functional proof-of-concept.

Classification
Stub 90%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Theoretical
Target: Windows (HiveNightmare/SeriousSAM)
No auth needed
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 5 stars
by Sp00kySkelet0n · poc
https://github.com/Sp00kySkelet0n/PyNightmare

This PoC exploits CVE-2021-36934 (HiveNightmare/SeriousSAM) by copying SAM and SYSTEM registry hives from Volume Shadow Copies, allowing non-admin users to access sensitive data like password hashes. The script iterates through shadow copies and attempts to dump the files to a local directory.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Info Leak
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows 10 (with System Protection enabled)
Auth required
Prerequisites: Volume Shadow Copy Service enabled · Local user access
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 5 stars
by n3tsurge · local
https://github.com/n3tsurge/CVE-2021-36934

This repository contains a PowerShell script that detects and exploits CVE-2021-36934 (HiveNightmare/SeriousSam), a vulnerability allowing unauthorized access to the SAM registry hive via improper permissions and Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) snapshots. The script includes both detection and exploitation capabilities, as well as remediation options.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Info Leak
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows 10, Windows 11 (affected versions)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Improper permissions on SAM hive · VSS snapshots available
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 3 stars
by chron1k · local
https://github.com/chron1k/oxide_hive

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2021-36934 (HiveNightmare/SeriousSAM), which allows reading sensitive registry hives (SAM, SECURITY, SYSTEM) without admin privileges by leveraging shadow copies. The exploit is written in Rust and dumps the hives to the current directory for further credential extraction.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Lpe
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows (affected versions with improperly secured registry hives)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to a vulnerable Windows system · Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) enabled
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 3 stars
by Preventions · local
https://github.com/Preventions/CVE-2021-36934

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2021-36934, which is a vulnerability in Windows that allows local privilege escalation by exploiting improper access control in the Windows Registry. The provided code includes cryptographic functions and registry parsing logic to extract and decrypt sensitive data from the registry hives.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Lpe
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft Windows (multiple versions)
Auth required
Prerequisites: Local access to the target system · Ability to read registry hives
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 2 stars
by websecnl · local
https://github.com/websecnl/CVE-2021-36934

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2021-36934 (SeriousSAM/HiveNightmare), which leverages improper access control in Windows to dump SAM, SYSTEM, and SECURITY registry hives. The script automates the extraction and cracking of the administrator password hash using external tools like HiveNightmare and a custom hashcat API.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Lpe
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows 10, Windows 11 (versions affected by CVE-2021-36934)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to a vulnerable Windows system · HiveNightmare executable · Custom hashcat API for password cracking
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 2 stars
by grishinpv · local
https://github.com/grishinpv/poc_CVE-2021-36934

This repository contains a functional proof-of-concept exploit for CVE-2021-36934, which abuses the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to access restricted files. The code enumerates shadow copies, allows user selection, and copies files from shadow storage to a user-specified destination.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Info Leak
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to a Windows system with VSS enabled · Local execution privileges
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec SCANNER 2 stars
by VertigoRay · local
https://github.com/VertigoRay/CVE-2021-36934

The repository contains PowerShell scripts to detect and remediate CVE-2021-36934, a vulnerability in Windows 10 that allows unauthorized access to sensitive system files due to incorrect permissions. The Discovery.ps1 script checks for vulnerable permissions, while Remediation.ps1 removes excessive permissions and purges shadow copies.

Classification
Scanner 90%
Attack Type
Info Leak
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft Windows 10 (versions 1809 and later)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Local access to the target system
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 1 stars
by OlivierLaflamme · poc
https://github.com/OlivierLaflamme/CVE-2021-36934-export-shadow-volume-POC

This repository contains a functional C# script that exploits CVE-2021-36934 to copy sensitive system files (SAM, SYSTEM, SECURITY) from a Volume Shadow Copy, demonstrating privilege escalation via improper access control in Windows.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Lpe
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows 10 version 1809 and later
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) access · Local user access
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 1 stars
by irissentinel · local
https://github.com/irissentinel/CVE-2021-36934

This repository contains a PowerShell script that checks for and remediates the CVE-2021-36934 (HiveNightmare) vulnerability by fixing ACL permissions on hive files and removing vulnerable shadow copies. It includes both detection and mitigation capabilities.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Info Leak
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows 10 versions 17763, 18363, 19041, 19042, 19043
Auth required
Prerequisites: Administrator privileges · Affected Windows 10 version
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 1 stars
by tda90 · local
https://github.com/tda90/CVE-2021-36934

This repository contains a PowerShell script that detects and remediates CVE-2021-36934, a vulnerability in Windows where improper ACLs on system files allow local privilege escalation. The script checks for vulnerable ACLs, removes shadow copies, fixes permissions, and recreates shadow copies if necessary.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Lpe
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft Windows (multiple versions)
Auth required
Prerequisites: Local access to the system · Administrative privileges to run the remediation script
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 1 stars
by 0x0D1n · local
https://github.com/0x0D1n/CVE-2021-36934

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2021-36934, which leverages improper access control in Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to read sensitive registry hives (SAM, SECURITY, SYSTEM) as a low-privileged user. The PoC brute-forces shadow copy indices to locate and copy these files to a temporary directory for credential extraction.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Info Leak
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft Windows (VSS)
Auth required
Prerequisites: Volume Shadow Copy Service enabled · Local user access
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec SCANNER 1 stars
by bytesizedalex · local
https://github.com/bytesizedalex/CVE-2021-36934

The repository contains PowerShell scripts designed to detect and remediate CVE-2021-36934, a vulnerability involving improper permissions on the Windows SAM file. The scripts check for the presence of BUILTIN\Users permissions and provide remediation steps but do not include functional exploit code.

Classification
Scanner 95%
Attack Type
Info Leak
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft Windows (versions affected by CVE-2021-36934)
Auth required
Prerequisites: Administrator privileges · PowerShell 4.0 or higher
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 1 stars
by WiredPulse · poc
https://github.com/WiredPulse/Invoke-HiveDreams

This PowerShell script exploits CVE-2021-36934 (HiveNightmare) by checking for and remediating improper permissions on Windows registry hives (SAM, Security, Software) and Volume Shadow Copies. It includes functions to detect vulnerability conditions and apply fixes, such as removing excessive permissions and deleting shadow copies.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Info Leak
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows 10 version 1809 and newer
Auth required
Prerequisites: Standard user access on a vulnerable Windows system · Volume Shadow Copies present or improper permissions on registry hives
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WRITEUP
by d4yon · poc
https://github.com/d4yon/CVE-2021-36934-HiveNightmare-Lab

This repository provides a detailed technical analysis and step-by-step demonstration of CVE-2021-36934 (HiveNightmare), a local privilege escalation vulnerability in Windows 10/11 and Windows Server 2019/2022. It includes exploitation steps, mitigation measures, and screenshots of the process.

Classification
Writeup 100%
Attack Type
Lpe
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows 10 (1809+), Windows 11, Windows Server 2019/2022
Auth required
Prerequisites: System Protection enabled · existing restore point
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 23, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by P1rat3R00t · local
https://github.com/P1rat3R00t/Why-so-Serious-SAM

This repository contains a functional exploit PoC for CVE-2021-36934 (HiveNightmare), demonstrating fileless malware techniques, reflective DLL injection, and LOLBin abuse for privilege escalation and credential access on Windows systems.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Lpe
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows 10/11 (SAM registry hive)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to a vulnerable Windows system with improper SAM registry permissions · Ability to execute arbitrary code on the target system
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WRITEUP
by shaktavist · poc
https://github.com/shaktavist/SeriousSam

This repository provides a technical description and mitigation steps for CVE-2021-36934, a Windows Elevation of Privilege vulnerability. It includes a batch script for deploying a workaround via GPO but does not contain functional exploit code.

Classification
Writeup 80%
Attack Type
Lpe
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Theoretical
Target: Windows 10, Windows Server
Auth required
Prerequisites: Local access to the target system · Administrative privileges to deploy the workaround
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by jmaddington · local
https://github.com/jmaddington/Serious-Sam---CVE-2021-36934-Mitigation-for-Datto-RMM

This repository contains a PowerShell script designed to mitigate CVE-2021-36934 (Serious SAM) by correcting permissions and deleting shadow copies on Windows systems. It is tailored for use with Datto RMM but can be adapted for other RMM tools.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows systems with vulnerable permissions (CVE-2021-36934)
Auth required
Prerequisites: Administrative access to the target system · Datto RMM or similar tool for deployment
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
patchapalooza WORKING POC
by OlivierLaflamme · local
https://github.com/OlivierLaflamme/CVE-2021-36934_export_shadow_volume

This repository contains a functional C# script that exploits CVE-2021-36934 to copy sensitive system files (SAM, SYSTEM, SECURITY) from Windows Volume Shadow Copies, enabling privilege escalation or credential theft. The script bypasses normal file permissions by accessing shadow copies, which are typically readable without administrative privileges.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Lpe
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows 10 version 1809 and later
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to a user session on the target system · Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) enabled
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 23, 2026 Full analysis →
patchapalooza WORKING POC
by CrackerCat · local
https://github.com/CrackerCat/HiveNightmare

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2021-36934 (HiveNightmare), which allows local privilege escalation by reading Windows Registry hive files. The code includes parsing and decryption logic for extracting sensitive data from registry hives.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Lpe
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows 10, Windows 11 (affected versions)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Local access to the system · Access to registry hive files (e.g., SAM, SYSTEM, SECURITY)
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 23, 2026 Full analysis →
patchapalooza WORKING POC
by Sp00p64 · local
https://github.com/Sp00p64/PyNightmare

This PoC exploits CVE-2021-36934 (HiveNightmare/SeriousSAM) by copying the SAM and SYSTEM registry hives from Volume Shadow Copies, allowing non-admin users to access sensitive information like password hashes. The script iterates through shadow copies to locate and dump these files to a local directory.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Info Leak
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows 10 (with System Protection enabled)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Volume Shadow Copy Service enabled · Access to the system as a non-admin user
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 23, 2026 Full analysis →
patchapalooza WORKING POC
by gvillegas · local
https://gitlab.com/gvillegas/vsssam

This repository contains a functional C++ exploit for CVE-2021-36934, which leverages Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to copy sensitive system files (SAM, SYSTEM, SECURITY) from shadow copies. The exploit uses QueryDosDevice to locate shadow copies and copies the files to the current directory.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Info Leak
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows 10 (and other versions with VSS enabled)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) enabled · Local access to the target system
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 23, 2026 Full analysis →
patchapalooza WORKING POC
by GossiTheDog · local
https://github.com/GossiTheDog/HiveNightmare

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2021-36934 (HiveNightmare), which allows non-admin users to read sensitive registry hives (SAM, SYSTEM, SECURITY) by leveraging improper access control on Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) snapshots. The exploit iterates through VSS snapshots to locate and dump the hives to the current directory.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Info Leak
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows 10 (with System Protection enabled)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) snapshots must exist · System Protection must be enabled
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 23, 2026 Full analysis →
patchapalooza WRITEUP
by Ascotbe · local
https://github.com/Ascotbe/Kernelhub

This repository is a collection of documentation and metadata for various Windows CVEs, including CVE-2021-36934. It contains README files, issue templates, and a Python script for generating documentation but no functional exploit code.

Classification
Writeup 90%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Theoretical
Target: Windows
No auth needed
Prerequisites: none
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 23, 2026 Full analysis →

Scores

CVSS v3 7.8
EPSS 0.9042
EPSS Percentile 99.6%
Attack Vector LOCAL
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CISA SSVC

Vulnrichment
Exploitation active
Automatable no
Technical Impact total

Details

CISA KEV 2022-02-10
VulnCheck KEV 2022-02-09
InTheWild.io 2021-07-26
ENISA EUVD EUVD-2021-23510
Status published
Products (5)
microsoft/windows_10_1809 < 10.0.17763.2114
microsoft/windows_10_1909 < 10.0.18363.1734
microsoft/windows_10_2004 < 10.0.19041.1165
microsoft/windows_10_20h2 < 10.0.19042.1165
microsoft/windows_10_21h1 < 10.0.19043.1165
Published Jul 22, 2021
KEV Added Feb 10, 2022
Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026