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Microsoft Issues Warning About New Security Vulnerability

The company is working on a patch

By Erin Miller Erin Miller Tech News Reporter Eastern Michigan University Erin is a freelance technology reporter for Lifewire. She covers everything related to consumer tech, keeping an eye on the news and views that matter most to users. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on July 16, 2021 11:05AM EDT Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Internet & Security Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming Microsoft has announced a new security vulnerability involving a local elevation of privilege flaw that can be exploited by attackers to perform unauthorized actions on a user's system. If exploited successfully through the execution of code on a victim’s device, the new security vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2021-34481, could allow an attacker to gain SYSTEM privileges through a vulnerability in the Print Spooler service—potentially changing or deleting the victim’s data, installing new programs, or creating new user accounts with full access to the user’s system. Getty Images / Manuel Breva Colmeiro The new exploit comes on the heels of the recent PrintNightmare security vulnerability, which also exploited Microsoft’s Print Spooler service, allowing attackers to gain remote system privileges on victims’ systems. That vulnerability affected all versions of Windows and took several days to patch. The company’s fix was also mired with issues and reportedly caused connection errors for some users. In a post announcing the new vulnerability, the Microsoft Security Response Center credited its discovery to security researcher Jacob Baines. In a tweet posted earlier this morning, Baines said he did not consider the new vulnerability to be a variant of PrintNightmare. According to the company's post, Microsoft is still determining which versions of Windows are affected by the vulnerability, and is currently working on a patch. In the meantime, Microsoft has recommended users determine whether the Print Spooler service is running on their system. If so, users are advised to stop and disable the service. The workaround will disable the ability to print both remotely or locally, but the company said it should prevent the flaw from being exploited by bad actors until a security update becomes available. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Disable Remote Assistance and Desktop in Windows XP 8 Tips on Basic Computer Safety Patch Tuesday (Most Recent: October 11, 2022) How to Update Your Logitech Unifying Receiver What Is Spyware? Plus, How to Protect Yourself Against It What Is a Cyber Attack and How to Prevent One What Is a Patch? (Patch / Hotfix Definition) How to Fix Printer Spooler Errors in Windows 10 How to Restart the Print Spooler in Windows 10 Browser Hijackers: What They Are and How to Protect Yourself From Them 5 MacBook Security Tips - Internet / Network Security Microsoft Security Bulletin Severity Rating System Microsoft Windows XP on New Computers What Are the Security Threats In VoIP A Brief History of Malware How to Secure Your IP Security Cameras Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies