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CVE-2020-0638

Microsoft Update Notification Manager Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

  • High 7.8
  • Exploited: added to CISA KEV 23 May 2022
  • Used in ransomware campaigns

Description

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way the Update Notification Manager handles files.To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system, aka 'Update Notification Manager Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.

Key facts

Published
14 Jan 2020
Last changed
12 Aug 2026
Assigned by
microsoft
KEV added
23 May 2022
KEV fix due
13 Jun 2022
Used in ransomware
Yes, according to CISA
EPSS
2.539% likely to be exploited in the next 30 days, higher than 85.23% of CVEs (scores for 15 Nov 2026)
SSVC (CISA)
Exploitation: active; Automatable: no; Technical impact: total

Severity scores

Each score is shown as its source gave it. They are not averaged or merged.

  • 7.8CVSS 3.1, Highfrom CISA (ADP container)CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

What to do

  • Apply updates per vendor instructions.CISA KEV required action

Historical context and remediation

This reference retains the original CVE publication date. A recent record update does not mean a new attack occurred.

No separately sourced impact summary is available on this page yet. Consult the description, version data and dated exploitation evidence.

Version statuses below come from the CNA. An “unaffected” version is not necessarily a currently supported release or proof of a patch date. EPSS is a dated risk estimate, not a count of historical attacks.

Read the original CVE record.

Affected products

VendorProductVersions
MicrosoftWindows
  • 10 Version 1709 for 32-bit Systems (affected)
  • 10 Version 1803 for 32-bit Systems (affected)
  • 10 Version 1809 for ARM64-based Systems (affected)
  • 10 Version 1803 for x64-based Systems (affected)
  • 10 Version 1709 for ARM64-based Systems (affected)
  • 10 Version 1709 for x64-based Systems (affected)
  • 10 Version 1803 for ARM64-based Systems (affected)
  • 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems (affected)
  • 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems (affected)
MicrosoftWindows 10 Version 1903 for ARM64-based Systems
  • unspecified (affected)
MicrosoftWindows 10 Version 1903 for 32-bit Systems
  • unspecified (affected)
MicrosoftWindows 10 Version 1903 for x64-based Systems
  • unspecified (affected)
MicrosoftWindows Server
  • 2019 (affected)
  • 2019 (Core installation) (affected)
  • version 1803 (Core Installation) (affected)
MicrosoftWindows Server, version 1903 (Server Core installation)
  • unspecified (affected)
MicrosoftWindows 10 Version 1909 for 32-bit Systems
  • unspecified (affected)
MicrosoftWindows 10 Version 1909 for x64-based Systems
  • unspecified (affected)
MicrosoftWindows Server, version 1909 (Server Core installation)
  • unspecified (affected)
MicrosoftWindows 10 Version 1909 for ARM64-based Systems
  • unspecified (affected)

Timeline

  1. 14 Jan 2020 Published
  2. 23 May 2022 CVE-2020-0638 added to CISA KEV
  3. 23 May 2022 Added to the CISA KEV catalogue

Weakness

References