Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This is a local privilege escalation issue in Emerson DeltaV control-system controllers and workstations. A user with local access could place missing DLL files so DeltaV services load attacker-controlled code when started. The business risk is highest where insiders, shared accounts, or weak workstation controls exist in operational technology environments.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority OT hardening issue, especially for sites with shared operator workstations or broad local access. It is not described as remotely exploitable in the bundle, but successful misuse could affect system integrity and availability.
Technical view
CVE-2021-44463 is a CWE-427 uncontrolled search path issue. The CVSS 3.1 score is 8.1, with local attack vector, low complexity, low privileges required, user interaction required, changed scope, and high integrity and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is tied to DeltaV Distributed Control System Controllers and Workstations described as all versions in the source description. The structured affected-product fields in the bundle are not populated, so asset confirmation should rely on Emerson or CISA advisory details.
Exploitation context
The bundle does not show CISA KEV listing and provides no cited evidence of active exploitation. The described scenario requires local access and replacement of missing DLLs, making insider access or compromise of a DeltaV workstation the main concern.
Researcher notes
The public bundle is thin beyond the core description, CVSS vector, CWE-427 classification, and CISA advisory link. Do not infer exploit availability or patch status from this data alone; validate operational details against the advisory and vendor materials.
Mitigation direction
- Review the CISA advisory and Emerson guidance for product-specific remediation.
- Restrict local interactive access to DeltaV controllers and workstations.
- Limit write permissions in DeltaV service and application directories.
- Audit privileged and shared accounts on affected operational technology systems.
- Monitor for unexpected DLL creation near DeltaV services and executables.
Validation and detection
- Inventory DeltaV controllers and workstations and confirm version scope with vendor guidance.
- Review service paths and application directories for unexpected DLL files.
- Check endpoint logs for new DLL writes before DeltaV service starts.
- Verify local user permissions on DeltaV hosts are least privilege.
- Confirm compensating controls are documented for systems awaiting vendor remediation.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-427: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupPrivilege behavior lookup
The CVE wording references privilege impact, so privilege escalation and authorization behavior review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-44463 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 8.1 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:H1.56Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
8.1HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ics/advisories/icsa-21-355-04CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Uncontrolled Search Path Element
Uncontrolled Search Path Element represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.