CVE-2020-1521
Windows Speech Runtime Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows Speech Runtime improperly handles memory. 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 Speech Runtime handles memory.
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
Windows Speech Runtime Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows Speech Runtime improperly handles memory. 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 Speech Runtime handles memory.
- Record
CVE-2020-1521- 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-2020-12395
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows Speech Runtime improperly handles memory. 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 Speech Runtime handles memory.
- Record
EUVD-2020-12395- 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-h43f-9gcw-qmpf
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows Speech Runtime improperly handles...
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows Speech Runtime improperly handles memory.To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system, aka 'Windows Speech Runtime Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2020-1522.
- Record
GHSA-h43f-9gcw-qmpf- 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
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows Speech Runtime improperly handles memory. 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 Speech Runtime handles memory.
- Record
CVE-2020-1521- 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 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 server 2016
- microsoft windows server 2016 (server core installation)
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-2020-1521 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.8) in Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1607, published August 17, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.80%, the 56th percentile. No source names a fixed version.