{"id":"CVE-2020-0638","published":"2020-01-14T23:15:32Z","modified":"2026-08-12T05:17:27Z","title":"Microsoft Update Notification Manager Privilege Escalation Vulnerability","vendor":"Microsoft","product":"Update Notification Manager","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way the Update Notification Manager handles files.To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system, aka 'Update Notification Manager Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"The flaw is an elevation of privilege vulnerability in how Microsoft's Update Notification Manager handles files, affecting the Update Notification Manager component. An attacker who already has the ability to execute code on the victim system, which is a prerequisite that must be met first, can exploit it to gain elevated privileges, with no user interaction required.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-30T13:35:51Z"},"cvss":{"score":7.8,"severity":"HIGH","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.0237,"percentile":0.83787,"date":"2026-10-29","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2022-05-23","dueDate":"2022-06-13","ransomware":true,"requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","notes":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-0638","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2022-03-24","exploitedFirstSeen":"2022-03-24","ransomware":true,"evidence":[{"url":"https://www.tenable.com/blog/contileaks-chats-reveal-over-30-vulnerabilities-used-by-conti-ransomware-affiliates","date":"2022-03-24"},{"url":"https://cybersecurityworks.com/howdymanage/uploads/file/RansomwareUpdate%20Report%202022%20Q1.pdf","date":"2022-04-12"},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2022-05-23"},{"url":"https://www.securin.io/articles/all-about-conti-ransomware/","date":"2022-06-29"},{"url":"https://info.securin.io/hubfs/Securin%20Ransomware%20Report%202023.pdf","date":"2023-02-14"}],"evidenceTotal":5,"provenance":"source"},"exploited":true,"otx":{"pulseCount":50,"pulses":[{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae20c1db17e7057ae7d9ad1","created":"2026-10-28"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae0ba7e0e2a97ff7b218819","created":"2026-10-27"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adf68b85c3e852f3c111d18","created":"2026-10-26"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adb740e397c3ad4799aa4cd","created":"2026-10-23"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ada236fcfba2dfa730ea482","created":"2026-10-22"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad8d33a077cbb5cab524d80","created":"2026-10-21"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 21, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad78130c4d1ac2be83a8b6d","created":"2026-10-20"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 20, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad62f63c24a405a3423cc13","created":"2026-10-19"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 19, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad4dda174e5797d0bd238b7","created":"2026-10-18"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 18, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad38c22e1848f8189d1c121","created":"2026-10-17"}],"provenance":"machine"},"cwes":[{"id":"CWE-59","name":"Improper Link Resolution Before File Access"}],"references":[{"url":"https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-0638","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-0638","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-0638","tags":["US Government Resource"]}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1078","name":"Valid Accounts","tactics":["initial-access","persistence","privilege-escalation","stealth"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: Requires prior local execution; valid-account-like foothold","mappingType":"exploitation_technique","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system","start":135,"end":202}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"},{"id":"T1068","name":"Exploitation for Privilege Escalation","tactics":["privilege-escalation"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: Direct impact is privilege escalation via file handling","mappingType":"primary_impact","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way the Update Notification Manager handles files","start":0,"end":103}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"}],"reports":[],"affected":[],"advisories":[],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2020-2132","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2020-2132","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2022-05-23","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[],"exploitSources":null,"exploitRefs":[],"flow":[{"stage":"exploitation","techniques":["T1078"],"provenance":"ai"},{"stage":"primary","techniques":["T1068"],"provenance":"ai"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2020-01-14","kind":"published","label":"Published (NVD)","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-0638","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2022-03-24","kind":"exploited-reported","label":"Exploitation first reported (VulnCheck KEV evidence)","url":"https://www.tenable.com/blog/contileaks-chats-reveal-over-30-vulnerabilities-used-by-conti-ransomware-affiliates","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2022-05-23","kind":"kev","label":"Added to CISA KEV (known ransomware use)","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2022-05-23","kind":"euvd-exploited","label":"ENISA EUVD: exploited","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2020-2132","provenance":"source"}],"speed":{"daysToPublicExploit":null,"firstExploitFrom":null,"daysToKev":860},"priority":{"score":70.2,"factors":[{"name":"In a KEV catalog","points":35.0,"detail":"listed in CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV"},{"name":"Recent KEV listing","points":0.0,"detail":"added 1681 days ago"},{"name":"Known ransomware use","points":10.0,"detail":"CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV: Known"},{"name":"EPSS percentile","points":16.76,"detail":"percentile 0.8379"},{"name":"Named in threat reports","points":0.0,"detail":"0 reports"},{"name":"Public exploit code","points":0.0,"detail":"none found"},{"name":"Mentioned in OTX pulses","points":3.0,"detail":"50 pulses"},{"name":"CVSS severity","points":5.46,"detail":"base score 7.8"},{"name":"End-of-life product","points":0.0,"detail":"supported or unknown"}]}}