Highly exploitable, CVE-2020-16902 poses a critical security risk that could lead to severe breaches.
Status: Modified
Last updated: 🕗 31 Dec 2023, 20:15 UTC
Originally published on: 🕚 16 Oct 2020, 23:15 UTC
Time between publication and last update: 1170 days
CVSS Release: version 3
secure@microsoft.com
Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVE-2020-16902: <p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the Windows Installer when the Windows Installer fails to properly sanitize input leading to an insecure library loading behavior.</p> <p>A locally authenticated attacker could run arbitrary code with elevated system privileges. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.</p> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting the input sanitization error to preclude unintended elevation.</p>
The exploitability of CVE-2020-16902 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).
CVE-2020-16902 presents an accessible attack vector with minimal effort required. Restricting access controls and implementing security updates are critical to reducing exploitation risks.
A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.
Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2020-16902, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2020-16902, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
The EPSS score estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the near future.
EPSS Score: 0.061% (probability of exploit)
EPSS Percentile: 28.83%
(lower percentile = lower relative risk)
This vulnerability is less risky than approximately 71.17% of others.
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