CVE-2020-16972: Windows Backup Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
CVE-2020-16972 is an elevation of privilege vulnerability in Windows Backup Service, rated Important by Microsoft, with a CVSS 3.0 base score of 7.8 (High). An attacker can exploit it by an attacker with local access, with low privileges and without user interaction. Microsoft has not reported exploitation in the wild and rates exploitation as less likely. The EPSS model estimates a 0.91% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 60% of all scored vulnerabilities. Microsoft released the fix on 13 October 2020 in the October 2020 Patch Tuesday, delivered through 9 security updates (KB4580330, KB4577668, KB4577671, KB4580328 and more). It affects 33 products in 1 product family (Other).
Key facts
- CVE ID
- CVE-2020-16972
- Severity
- High CVSS 7.8
- Microsoft severity
- Important
- Impact
- Elevation of Privilege
- Exploited in the wild
- No
- Publicly disclosed
- No
- Exploitation likelihood
- Less Likely
- EPSS
- 0.91% (percentile 60%)
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Released
- Last updated
- Patch Tuesday
- October 2020 Patch Tuesday
- Product families
- Other
CVSS score and vector
Microsoft scores CVE-2020-16972 at 7.8 (temporal 7) using CVSS 3.0. Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack vector | Local |
| Attack complexity | Low |
| Privileges required | Low |
| User interaction | None |
| Scope | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality impact | High |
| Integrity impact | High |
| Availability impact | High |
| Exploit code maturity | Proof of concept |
| Remediation level | Official fix |
| Report confidence | Confirmed |
NVD scores it 7.8 (HIGH) with CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
Description
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows Backup Service improperly handles file operations.
To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application to elevate privileges.
The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how the Windows Backup Service handles file operations.
Affected products (33)
Other
| Product | Security update | Type | Fixed build | Restart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11497 | KB4580330 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 11498 | KB4580330 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 11563 | KB4580330 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 11568 | KB4577668 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 11569 | KB4577668 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 11570 | KB4577668 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 11571 | KB4577668 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 11572 | KB4577668 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 11712 | KB4577671 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 11713 | KB4577671 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 11714 | KB4577671 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 11715 | KB4577671 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 11453 | KB4580328 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 11454 | KB4580328 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 11583 | KB4580328 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 11644 | KB4577671 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 11645 | KB4577671 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 11646 | KB4577671 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 11647 | KB4577671 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 11766 | KB4579311 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 11767 | KB4579311 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 11768 | KB4579311 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 11769 | KB4579311 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 10729 | KB4580327 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 10735 | KB4580327 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 10852 | KB4580346 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 10853 | KB4580346 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 10816 | KB4580346 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 10855 | KB4580346 | Security Update | Yes | |
| 10047 | KB4580345 KB4580387 | Monthly Rollup Security Only | Yes Yes | |
| 10048 | KB4580345 KB4580387 | Monthly Rollup Security Only | Yes Yes | |
| 10051 | KB4580345 KB4580387 | Monthly Rollup Security Only | Yes Yes | |
| 10049 | KB4580345 KB4580387 | Monthly Rollup Security Only | Yes Yes |
Security updates (9)
NIST NVD data
- NVD status
- Modified
- NVD CVSS
- 7.8 (HIGH)
- Published to NVD
- NVD last modified
Affected configurations (CPE)
| Product | Vulnerable versions |
|---|---|
| windows 10 | all listed versions |
| windows 10 1607 | all listed versions |
| windows 10 1709 | all listed versions |
| windows 10 1803 | all listed versions |
| windows 10 1809 | all listed versions |
| windows 10 1903 | all listed versions |
| windows 10 1909 | all listed versions |
| windows 10 2004 | all listed versions |
| windows 7 | all listed versions |
| windows server 2008 r2 (x64) | all listed versions |
| windows server 2016 | all listed versions |
| windows server 2016 1903 | all listed versions |
| windows server 2016 1909 | all listed versions |
| windows server 2016 2004 | all listed versions |
| windows server 2019 | all listed versions |
References
- https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-16972 (Patch, Vendor Advisory)
- https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-16972 (Patch, Vendor Advisory)
Acknowledgments
- Yuki Chen
Revision history
| Version | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Information published. |