CVE-2020-16863
Windows Remote Desktop Service Denial of Service Vulnerability
<p>A denial of service vulnerability exists in Windows Remote Desktop Service when an attacker connects to the target system using RDP and sends specially crafted requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause the Remote Desktop Service on the target system to stop responding.</p> <p>To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to run a specially crafted application against a server which provides Remote Desktop Service.</p> <p>The update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Remote Desktop Service handles connection requests.</p>
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
Windows Remote Desktop Service Denial of Service Vulnerability
<p>A denial of service vulnerability exists in Windows Remote Desktop Service when an attacker connects to the target system using RDP and sends specially crafted requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause the Remote Desktop Service on the target system to stop responding.</p> <p>To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to run a specially crafted application against a server which provides Remote Desktop Service.</p> <p>The update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Remote Desktop Service handles connection requests.</p>
- Record
CVE-2020-16863- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C - Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-8821
<p>A denial of service vulnerability exists in Windows Remote Desktop Service when an attacker connects to the target system using RDP and sends specially crafted requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause the Remote Desktop Service on the target system to stop responding.</p> <p>To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to run a specially crafted application against a server which provides Remote Desktop Service.</p> <p>The update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Remote Desktop Service handles connection requests.</p>
- Record
EUVD-2020-8821- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-69gr-hfqx-6mvx
A denial of service vulnerability exists in Windows Remote Desktop Service when an attacker...
A denial of service vulnerability exists in Windows Remote Desktop Service when an attacker connects to the target system using RDP and sends specially crafted requests, aka 'Windows Remote Desktop Service Denial of Service Vulnerability'.
- Record
GHSA-69gr-hfqx-6mvx- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
<p>A denial of service vulnerability exists in Windows Remote Desktop Service when an attacker connects to the target system using RDP and sends specially crafted requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause the Remote Desktop Service on the target system to stop responding.</p> <p>To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to run a specially crafted application against a server which provides Remote Desktop Service.</p> <p>The update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Remote Desktop Service handles connection requests.</p>
- Record
CVE-2020-16863- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 7.8 High
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C - Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| facts | ||
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2020-16863 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.5) in Microsoft Windows 7, published October 16, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 5.85%, the 93rd percentile. No source names a fixed version.