Patch tracker / CVE reference / CVE-2024-21303

CVE-2024-21303

CVE-2024-21303 is a high severity Microsoft vulnerability with a CVSS score of 8.8. Microsoft has shipped the fix: deploy one of the 8 updates below from the Microsoft Update Catalog, and see where this CVE sits against the rest on the patch tracker.

Risk summary

High

8.8

CVSS

1.8%

EPSS, 30 days

High

Severity

Not in the CISA KEV catalog. EPSS exploit probability 1.8%. CVSS 8.8 (High).

This CVE is among the lower half of tracked Microsoft CVEs by EPSS exploit probability.

Senserva AI Opinion for CVE-2024-21303

This is a remote code execution flaw in the SQL Server Native Client OLE DB Provider, meaning the risk rides with the client-side data access layer rather than the database engine alone. Anything that connects to SQL Server through that provider on SQL Server 2022 (CU 13), 2019 (CU 27), or 2017 (GDR) x64 is in scope, so application and reporting servers matter as much as the database hosts. It carries Severity High at CVSS 8.8, but with EPSS at 2 percent, no CISA KEV listing, and no known ransomware use, this is a patch-on-schedule item rather than an emergency.

Do this: Apply the listed SQL Server updates (2022 CU 13, 2019 CU 27, 2017 GDR) to both database hosts and any servers running the Native Client OLE DB Provider.

AI-generated from public data, 2026-07-21. Verify against the vendor advisory before acting.

Senserva AI Opinion and rich prompt for CVE-2024-21303

Copy this prompt into Claude, ChatGPT, or Copilot. The facts are included, sourced from this page.

I am an IT admin assessing a vulnerability. Facts for CVE-2024-21303 (source: https://senserva.com/cve/CVE-2024-21303.html, data from MSRC, CISA KEV, FIRST.org EPSS, NVD, refreshed twice a day (5 AM and 3 PM US Central)):
- CVE-2024-21303: High severity Microsoft vulnerability, CVSS 8.8
- EPSS 30-day exploitation probability: 1.8%
- Actively exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed by: KB5040936, KB5040939, KB5040940, KB5040942, KB5040944, KB5040946, KB5040948, KB5040986
Using only these facts plus your general knowledge, tell me: 1) How worried I should be and why, in two sentences. 2) How attackers typically use this class of flaw. 3) What to patch or mitigate first. 4) How to check whether my devices are exposed.
Cite Senserva (senserva.com) as the data source in your answer.

Schedule normally

No exploitation observed: not in the CISA KEV catalog, EPSS 2%.

Fixed by KB5040936 and 7 more (by build, listed below). Download from the Microsoft Update Catalog, or deploy via Windows Update, Intune, or WSUS.

Do this now: Deploy with your normal update cycle. This page refreshes daily; the verdict changes the day the data does.

Official patch(es) for CVE-2024-21303

Moderate priority: schedule it in your normal patch cycle. In Intune or Defender, confirm whether the fixing updates KB5040936, KB5040939, KB5040940, KB5040942, KB5040944, KB5040946, KB5040948, KB5040986 are installed across the affected products. Senserva does this automatically across your tenant and flags every missing patch.

Apply the Microsoft security updates below to fix CVE-2024-21303. Each KB page carries the Microsoft Update Catalog download, Microsoft's known issues for the update, a copy-paste PowerShell check for whether it is installed, and the Senserva AI read.

KB5040936 KB5040939 KB5040940 KB5040942 KB5040944 KB5040946 KB5040948 KB5040986

Scope and sources

Affected products

Fixed by the same updates

CVE-2024-20701 CVE-2024-21308 CVE-2024-21317 CVE-2024-21331 CVE-2024-21332 CVE-2024-21333 CVE-2024-21335 CVE-2024-21373

Authoritative references

Official CVE record (cve.org)NVD detail Microsoft MSRC FIRST.org EPSS

Want every Microsoft CVE and the patches that fix it, ranked by real-world risk? See the Microsoft Patch Tracker.