{"id":"CVE-2020-0683","published":"2020-02-11T22:15:15Z","modified":"2026-06-17T02:46:20Z","title":"Microsoft Windows Installer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability","vendor":"Microsoft","product":"Windows","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the Windows Installer when MSI packages process symbolic links, aka 'Windows Installer Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2020-0686.","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"The flaw is an elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Windows Installer component of Microsoft Windows, which arises when MSI packages process symbolic links. An attacker with local, low-privileged access who can get a MSI package to process a crafted symbolic link can escalate privileges, with no user interaction required.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-31T05:10:27Z"},"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":0.07605,"percentile":0.94541,"date":"2026-10-30","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2021-11-03","dueDate":"2022-05-03","ransomware":false,"requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","notes":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-0683","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2021-11-03","exploitedFirstSeen":"2021-11-03","ransomware":false,"evidence":[{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2021-11-03"}],"evidenceTotal":1,"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-2020-0683","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-0683","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-0683","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: local low-privilege account required for exploitation","mappingType":"exploitation_technique","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the Windows Installer","start":0,"end":71}],"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: privilege escalation via symbolic link processing","mappingType":"primary_impact","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the Windows Installer","start":3,"end":71}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"}],"reports":[],"affected":[],"advisories":[],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2020-2176","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2020-2176","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2021-11-03","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[{"id":48079,"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/48079","title":"MSI Packages Symbolic Links Processing - Windows 10 Privilege Escalation","type":"local","platform":"windows","date":"2020-02-17","verified":false,"provenance":"source"}],"exploitSources":{"exploitdb":{"count":1,"earliest":"2020-02-17"},"pocGithub":{"count":1,"skipped":0,"earliest":"2020-02-11","earliestUrl":"https://github.com/padovah4ck/CVE-2020-0683","repos":[{"name":"padovah4ck/CVE-2020-0683","url":"https://github.com/padovah4ck/CVE-2020-0683","stars":337,"created":"2020-02-11"}]},"first":{"date":"2020-02-11","source":"PoC-in-GitHub","url":"https://github.com/padovah4ck/CVE-2020-0683"},"provenance":"source"},"exploitRefs":[],"flow":[{"stage":"exploitation","techniques":["T1078"],"provenance":"ai"},{"stage":"primary","techniques":["T1068"],"provenance":"ai"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2020-02-11","kind":"published","label":"Published (NVD)","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-0683","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2020-02-11","kind":"exploit-public","label":"First public exploit: PoC-in-GitHub; later: Exploit-DB 2020-02-17","url":"https://github.com/padovah4ck/CVE-2020-0683","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2021-11-03","kind":"exploited-reported","label":"Exploitation first reported (VulnCheck KEV evidence)","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2021-11-03","kind":"kev","label":"Added to CISA KEV","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2021-11-03","kind":"euvd-exploited","label":"ENISA EUVD: exploited","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2020-2176","provenance":"source"}],"speed":{"daysToPublicExploit":0,"firstExploitFrom":"PoC-in-GitHub","daysToKev":631},"priority":{"score":67.4,"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 1823 days ago"},{"name":"Known ransomware use","points":0.0,"detail":"not known"},{"name":"EPSS percentile","points":18.91,"detail":"percentile 0.9454"},{"name":"Named in threat reports","points":0.0,"detail":"0 reports"},{"name":"Public exploit code","points":5.0,"detail":"1 Exploit-DB entry; 1 PoC-in-GitHub repo"},{"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"}]},"lineage":{"familyId":"fam-class-microsoft-windows-cwe-59"}}