CVE-2020-0787
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows Background Intelligent Transfer...
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) improperly handles symbolic links, aka 'Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
7.8
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) improperly handles symbolic links, aka 'Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.
- Record
CVE-2020-0787- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 7.2 High
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C - Weakness
- CWE-59
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List
7.8
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) improperly handles symbolic links, aka 'Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.
- Record
CVE-2020-0787- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-59
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-2274
7.8
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) improperly handles symbolic links, aka 'Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.
- Record
EUVD-2020-2274- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-2ffp-p9mj-92cf
7.8
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows Background Intelligent Transfer...
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) improperly handles symbolic links, aka 'Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.
- Record
GHSA-2ffp-p9mj-92cf- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-59, CWE-269
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CISA KEV No score
Microsoft Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) Improper Privilege Management Vulnerability
Microsoft Windows BITS is vulnerable to to a privilege elevation vulnerability if it improperly handles symbolic links. An actor can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code with system-level privileges.
- Record
CVE-2020-0787- Weakness
- CWE-269, CWE-59
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
- microsoft windows
- microsoft windows 10 version 1903 for 32-bit systems
- microsoft windows 10 version 1903 for arm64-based systems
- microsoft windows 10 version 1903 for x64-based systems
- microsoft windows 10 version 1909 for 32-bit systems
- microsoft windows 10 version 1909 for arm64-based systems
- microsoft windows 10 version 1909 for x64-based systems
- microsoft windows server
- microsoft windows server, version 1903 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server, version 1909 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows 10 1507
- microsoft windows 10 1607
Show 15 moreShow less
- microsoft windows 10 1709
- microsoft windows 10 1803
- microsoft windows 10 1809
- microsoft windows 10 1903
- microsoft windows 10 1909
- microsoft windows 7
- microsoft windows 8.1
- microsoft windows rt 8.1
- microsoft windows server 1803
- microsoft windows server 1903
- microsoft windows server 1909
- microsoft windows server 2008
- microsoft windows server 2012
- microsoft windows server 2016
- microsoft windows server 2019
Public exploits
Links only. Every CVE stores no exploit code.
| Source | Link | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit | Background Intelligent Transfer Service Arbitrary File Move Privilege Elevation Vulnerability | 2020-03-10 |
| PoC in GitHub | cbwang505/CVE-2020-0787-EXP-ALL-WINDOWS-VERSION | 2020-06-16 |
| PoC in GitHub | yanghaoi/CVE-2020-0787 | 2021-11-16 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| exploitation | ||
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, CISA KEV, Metasploit, NVD, PoC in GitHub |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2020-0787 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.8) in Microsoft Windows, published March 12, 2020. CISA lists it as known to be exploited, since January 28, 2022. EUVD reports exploitation since January 28, 2022. Public exploit code exists. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 42.5%, the 98th percentile. No source names a fixed version.
References
portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-0787
packetstormsecurity.com/files/158056/Background-Intelligent-Transfer-Service-Privilege-Escalation.html
cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-0787
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-0787
github.com/advisories/GHSA-2ffp-p9mj-92cf