CVE-2020-1566
Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application to take control of an affected system. The update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how the Windows kernel handles objects in memory.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application to take control of an affected system. The update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how the Windows kernel handles objects in memory.
- Record
CVE-2020-1566- CVSS 3.1
- 4.2 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N/E:P/RL:O/RC:C - Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-12440
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application to take control of an affected system. The update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how the Windows kernel handles objects in memory.
- Record
EUVD-2020-12440- CVSS 3.1
- 4.2 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N/E:P/RL:O/RC:C - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-qp95-9c4p-ffgj
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle...
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory, aka 'Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2020-1417, CVE-2020-1486.
- Record
GHSA-qp95-9c4p-ffgj- CVSS 3.1
- 4.2 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-119
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application to take control of an affected system. The update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how the Windows kernel handles objects in memory.
- Record
CVE-2020-1566- CVSS 3.1
- 4.2 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - 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
- 7.2 High
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C - 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 server 2016
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- 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
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-2020-1566 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 4.2) in Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1507, published August 17, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.68%, the 77th percentile. No source names a fixed version.