CVE-2020-0546

Privilege escalation via unquoted service path

Published Mar 12, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Unquoted service path handling in Intel ipmctl before 1.0.0.3461 allows local users to elevate privileges and interrupt its service. A Windows service registration leaves an executable path containing spaces unquoted, so service startup can resolve an attacker-controlled executable earlier in that path. Exploitation requires authenticated local access and write access to a searched parent directory; Intel has not identified the affected service or path.

CVSS severity4.4
Medium
EPSS probability0.34%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Unquoted service path handling in Intel ipmctl before 1.0.0.3461 allows local users to elevate privileges and interrupt its service. A Windows service registration leaves an executable path containing spaces unquoted, so service startup can resolve an attacker-controlled executable earlier in that path. Exploitation requires authenticated local access and write access to a searched parent directory; Intel has not identified the affected service or path.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-0546
Published
Mar 12, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Intel
Product
Intel ipmctl
Classifications
CWE-428, T1574.009
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

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Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=before version 1.0.0.3461
  2. Affected versionversion=See advisory https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00326.html

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Intel · Intel ipmctlversion=before version 1.0.0.3461; version=See advisory https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00326.html

Published CVSS scores

4.6NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
7.8NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.4IntelCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:L

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-428Unquoted Search Path or Element
T1574.009Path Interception by Unquoted Path

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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