CVE-2020-0515

Privilege escalation via installer search-path hijacking

Published Mar 12, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Uncontrolled search-path handling in the Intel Graphics Drivers installer allows local users to elevate privileges during installation. Intel identifies the installer and uncontrolled search-path element but does not disclose the searched filename, lookup routine, or writable directory. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access and user interaction with installer execution; successful path interception runs attacker-controlled code at elevated privilege.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.38%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Uncontrolled search-path handling in the Intel Graphics Drivers installer allows local users to elevate privileges during installation. Intel identifies the installer and uncontrolled search-path element but does not disclose the searched filename, lookup routine, or writable directory. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access and user interaction with installer execution; successful path interception runs attacker-controlled code at elevated privilege.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-0515
Published
Mar 12, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc.
Product
Intel Graphics Drivers
Classifications
CWE-427, T1574.008
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 12, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=15.33.49.5100
  2. Affected versionversion=15.36.38.5117
  3. Affected versionversion=15.40.44.5107
  4. Affected versionversion=15.45.30.5103
  5. Affected versionversion=before versions 26.20.100.7584
  6. Affected versionversion=See advisory https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00315.html

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc. · Intel Graphics Driversversion=15.33.49.5100; version=15.36.38.5117; version=15.40.44.5107; version=15.45.30.5103; version=before versions 26.20.100.7584; version=See advisory https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00315.html

Published CVSS scores

4.6NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.7IntelCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-427Uncontrolled Search Path Element
T1574.008Path Interception by Search Order Hijacking

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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