CVE-2020-1054KEV Β· OVERDUECWE-787

Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

High Β· published May 22, 2020

Patch now

Confirmed exploited, and the score agrees

CVSS calls it high at 7.0. It is confirmed in active exploitation. It sits in the 99.0th percentile for exploit probability.

1635
days past CISA
deadline
CVSS v3.1
7.0
EPSS
54%
Percentile
99.0
In the wild
Confirmed
What it is

🚨 A crafty tweak in the Windows kernel could let attackers slip into higher privileges like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat! ⚑ Think of this vulnerability like a building with a service entrance that anyone can access if security fails to check IDs. If they make it through, they could roam the halls as if they belong there! An attacker could exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access, allowing them to manipulate system settings, execute harmful commands, and potentially take complete control of your system. This could lead to data theft, system instability, and even a full-blown security breach. Absolutely devastating!

Put simply

Think of this vulnerability like a building with a service entrance that anyone can access if security fails to check IDs. If they make it through, they could roam the halls as if they belong there! The vulnerability arises from the Windows kernel-mode driver mishandling memory objects, which can be exploited to elevate privileges without proper authorization. This issue is categorized as a Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability.

What to do

An attacker could exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access, allowing them to manipulate system settings, execute harmful commands, and potentially take complete control of your system. This could lead to data theft, system instability, and even a full-blown security breach. Absolutely devastating! To close this security gap, update your Windows installation to the latest version where this vulnerability is patched. Regularly apply security updates and ensure your systems are configured to minimize privileges whenever possible. Don't let unauthorized access be your Achilles' heel! You've got this! Stay vigilant, and you'll maintain a secure environment in no time! πŸ›‘οΈ

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
7.0 Β· HIGH
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.53878 Β· 99.0th percentile
Weakness
CWE-787 Β· Out-of-bounds Write
Published
2020-05-22T03:15Z
KEV added
2021-11-03 Β· due 2022-05-03
Affected products (32)
ProductVersionsFixed in
microsoft/windows_10_1507all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_10_1507all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_10_1607all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_10_1607all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_10_1709all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_10_1709all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_10_1709all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_10_1803all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_10_1803all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_10_1803all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_10_1809all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_10_1809all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_10_1809all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_10_1903all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_10_1903all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_10_1903all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_10_1909all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_10_1909all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_10_1909all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_7all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_8.1all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_rt_8.1all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_server_1803all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_server_1903all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_server_1909all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_server_2008all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_server_2008all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_server_2008all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_server_2012all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_server_2012all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_server_2016all versionsβ€”
microsoft/windows_server_2019all versionsβ€”
References (4)
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 03 NOV 00:00Z
    Added to CISA KEV β€” remediate by May 3
    kev
  • 21 MAY 22:52Z
    An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows when the Windows kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory, aka 'Win32k Elevation…
    cvelistv5