CVE-2020-0790
Microsoft splwow64 Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
<p>A local elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in how splwow64.exe handles certain calls. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could elevate privileges on an affected system from low-integrity to medium-integrity.</p> <p>This vulnerability by itself does not allow arbitrary code execution; however, it could allow arbitrary code to be run if the attacker uses it in combination with another vulnerability (such as a remote code execution vulnerability or another elevation of privilege vulnerability) that is capable of leveraging the elevated privileges when code execution is attempted.</p> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by ensuring splwow64.exe properly handles these calls..</p>
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
Microsoft splwow64 Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
<p>A local elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in how splwow64.exe handles certain calls. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could elevate privileges on an affected system from low-integrity to medium-integrity.</p> <p>This vulnerability by itself does not allow arbitrary code execution; however, it could allow arbitrary code to be run if the attacker uses it in combination with another vulnerability (such as a remote code execution vulnerability or another elevation of privilege vulnerability) that is capable of leveraging the elevated privileges when code execution is attempted.</p> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by ensuring splwow64.exe properly handles these calls..</p>
- Record
CVE-2020-0790- 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/E:P/RL:O/RC:C - Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-2277
<p>A local elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in how splwow64.exe handles certain calls. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could elevate privileges on an affected system from low-integrity to medium-integrity.</p> <p>This vulnerability by itself does not allow arbitrary code execution; however, it could allow arbitrary code to be run if the attacker uses it in combination with another vulnerability (such as a remote code execution vulnerability or another elevation of privilege vulnerability) that is capable of leveraging the elevated privileges when code execution is attempted.</p> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by ensuring splwow64.exe properly handles these calls..</p>
- Record
EUVD-2020-2277- 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/E:P/RL:O/RC:C - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-p36p-r3w8-8q4p
A local elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in how splwow64.exe handles certain calls,...
A local elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in how splwow64.exe handles certain calls, aka 'Microsoft splwow64 Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.
- Record
GHSA-p36p-r3w8-8q4p- 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-269
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
<p>A local elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in how splwow64.exe handles certain calls. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could elevate privileges on an affected system from low-integrity to medium-integrity.</p> <p>This vulnerability by itself does not allow arbitrary code execution; however, it could allow arbitrary code to be run if the attacker uses it in combination with another vulnerability (such as a remote code execution vulnerability or another elevation of privilege vulnerability) that is capable of leveraging the elevated privileges when code execution is attempted.</p> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by ensuring splwow64.exe properly handles these calls..</p>
- Record
CVE-2020-0790- 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 - CVSS 2.0
- 4.6 Medium
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P - Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
- microsoft windows 10 version 1507
- microsoft windows 10 version 1607
- microsoft windows 10 version 1709
- microsoft windows 10 version 1709 for 32-bit systems
- microsoft windows 10 version 1803
- microsoft windows 10 version 1809
- 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
- microsoft windows 10 version 2004
- microsoft windows 7
Show 21 moreShow less
- microsoft windows 7 service pack 1
- microsoft windows 8.1
- microsoft windows server 2008 service pack 2
- microsoft windows server 2008 r2 service pack 1
- microsoft windows server 2008 r2 service pack 1 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server 2008 service pack 2
- microsoft windows server 2008 service pack 2 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server 2012
- microsoft windows server 2012 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server 2012 r2
- microsoft windows server 2012 r2 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server 2016
- microsoft windows server 2016 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server 2019
- microsoft windows server 2019 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server version 2004
- microsoft windows server, version 1903 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server, version 1909 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows 10
- microsoft windows rt 8.1
- microsoft windows server 2008
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2020-0790 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.8) in Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1507, published September 11, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.93%, the 60th percentile. No source names a fixed version.