CVE-2020-16905
Windows Error Reporting Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
<p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows Error Reporting (WER) when WER handles and executes files. The vulnerability could allow elevation of privilege if an attacker can successfully exploit it.</p> <p>An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could gain greater access to sensitive information and system functionality. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could run a specially crafted application.</p> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting the way that WER handles and executes files.</p>
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- Low
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
Windows Error Reporting Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
<p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows Error Reporting (WER) when WER handles and executes files. The vulnerability could allow elevation of privilege if an attacker can successfully exploit it.</p> <p>An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could gain greater access to sensitive information and system functionality. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could run a specially crafted application.</p> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting the way that WER handles and executes files.</p>
- Record
CVE-2020-16905- CVSS 3.1
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L/E:P/RL:O/RC:C - Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-8863
<p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows Error Reporting (WER) when WER handles and executes files. The vulnerability could allow elevation of privilege if an attacker can successfully exploit it.</p> <p>An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could gain greater access to sensitive information and system functionality. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could run a specially crafted application.</p> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting the way that WER handles and executes files.</p>
- Record
EUVD-2020-8863- CVSS 3.1
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L/E:P/RL:O/RC:C - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-mr59-8hjw-5m9c
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows Error Reporting (WER) when WER handles...
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows Error Reporting (WER) when WER handles and executes files, aka 'Windows Error Reporting Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2020-16909.
- Record
GHSA-mr59-8hjw-5m9c- CVSS 3.1
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-269
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
<p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows Error Reporting (WER) when WER handles and executes files. The vulnerability could allow elevation of privilege if an attacker can successfully exploit it.</p> <p>An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could gain greater access to sensitive information and system functionality. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could run a specially crafted application.</p> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting the way that WER handles and executes files.</p>
- Record
CVE-2020-16905- CVSS 3.1
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L - 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 server 2016
Show 7 moreShow less
- 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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-2020-16905 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.8) in Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1507, published October 16, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.00%, the 63rd percentile. No source names a fixed version.