CVE-2020-16980
Windows iSCSI Target Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
<p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows iSCSI Target Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain elevated privileges.</p> <p>To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would first need code execution on a victim system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application.</p> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by ensuring the Windows iSCSI Target Service properly handles file operations.</p>
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 iSCSI Target Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
<p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows iSCSI Target Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain elevated privileges.</p> <p>To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would first need code execution on a victim system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application.</p> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by ensuring the Windows iSCSI Target Service properly handles file operations.</p>
- Record
CVE-2020-16980- 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-2020-8937
<p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows iSCSI Target Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain elevated privileges.</p> <p>To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would first need code execution on a victim system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application.</p> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by ensuring the Windows iSCSI Target Service properly handles file operations.</p>
- Record
EUVD-2020-8937- 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-c85p-cp3c-gc6c
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows iSCSI Target Service improperly...
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows iSCSI Target Service improperly handles file operations, aka 'Windows iSCSI Target Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.
- Record
GHSA-c85p-cp3c-gc6c- 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
<p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows iSCSI Target Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain elevated privileges.</p> <p>To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would first need code execution on a victim system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application.</p> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by ensuring the Windows iSCSI Target Service properly handles file operations.</p>
- Record
CVE-2020-16980- 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 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 2004
- microsoft windows server, version 1903 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server, version 1909 (server core installation)
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-2020-16980 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.8) in Microsoft Windows Server 2012, published October 16, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.90%, the 59th percentile. No source names a fixed version.