The Winsock2ProtocolCatalogMutex mutex in Windows NT 4.0 has inappropriate Everyone/Full Control permissions, which allows local users to modify the permissions to "No Access" and disable Winsock network connectivity to cause a denial of service, aka the "Winsock Mutex" vulnerability.
This vulnerability carries a HIGH severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.1, requiring local system access to exploit with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction requiring only low-level privileges . The vulnerability impacts integrity (unauthorized modifications), and availability (service disruption) for affected systems. Impacting 1 product from microsoft organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.
Originally identified in 2001, this vulnerability predates many modern security frameworks and practices. The vulnerability landscape of that era was characterized by different threat models and less mature defense mechanisms compared to contemporary standards.
2001-02-12T05:00:00.000
2025-04-03T01:03:51.193
Deferred
CVSSv3.1: 7.1 (HIGH)
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
3.9
2.9
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version/Range | Vulnerable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_nt | 4.0 | Yes |
SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For microsoft's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.