CVE-2020-1078
Windows Installer Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows Installer because of the way Windows Installer handles certain filesystem operations. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would require unprivileged execution on the victim system. After successfully exploiting the vulnerability, an attacker could run arbitrary code with elevated privileges. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting the way Windows Installer handles certain filesystem operations.
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
7.8
Windows Installer Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows Installer because of the way Windows Installer handles certain filesystem operations. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would require unprivileged execution on the victim system. After successfully exploiting the vulnerability, an attacker could run arbitrary code with elevated privileges. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting the way Windows Installer handles certain filesystem operations.
- Record
CVE-2020-1078- 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-2020-11968
7.8
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows Installer because of the way Windows Installer handles certain filesystem operations. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would require unprivileged execution on the victim system. After successfully exploiting the vulnerability, an attacker could run arbitrary code with elevated privileges. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting the way Windows Installer handles certain filesystem operations.
- Record
EUVD-2020-11968- 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
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-xmmw-q4pv-3gc3
7.8
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows Installer because of the way Windows...
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows Installer because of the way Windows Installer handles certain filesystem operations.To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would require unprivileged execution on the victim system, aka 'Windows Installer Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.
- Record
GHSA-xmmw-q4pv-3gc3- 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
7.8
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows Installer because of the way Windows Installer handles certain filesystem operations. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would require unprivileged execution on the victim system. After successfully exploiting the vulnerability, an attacker could run arbitrary code with elevated privileges. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting the way Windows Installer handles certain filesystem operations.
- Record
CVE-2020-1078- 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 7
- microsoft windows 7 service pack 1
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- microsoft windows 8.1
- 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 1803 (server core installation)
- 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 |
|---|---|---|
| facts | ||
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2020-1078 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.8) in Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1507, published May 21, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.84%, the 58th percentile. No source names a fixed version.