CVE-2020-0849

Local privilege escalation via mishandled hard links

Published Mar 12, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Hard-link handling in Microsoft Windows allows local users with code execution to elevate privileges across affected client and server releases. The published record identifies only improper Windows hard-link handling; Microsoft has not disclosed the responsible component or wrong operation. Exploitation requires local access and crafted code execution, after which the user gains elevated privileges over the affected system.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.88%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Hard-link handling in Microsoft Windows allows local users with code execution to elevate privileges across affected client and server releases. The published record identifies only improper Windows hard-link handling; Microsoft has not disclosed the responsible component or wrong operation. Exploitation requires local access and crafted code execution, after which the user gains elevated privileges over the affected system.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-0849
Published
Mar 12, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Microsoft
Product
Windows 10 Version 1909
Classifications
T1068
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=unspecified

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Microsoft · Windows 10 Version 1909version=unspecified
Microsoft · Windows Server, version 1903 (Server Core installation)version=unspecified
Microsoft · Windowsversion=10 for 32-bit Systems; version=10 for x64-based Systems; version=10 Version 1607 for 32-bit Systems; version=10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems; version=10 Version 1709 for 32-bit Systems; version=10 Version 1709 for ARM64-based Systems; version=10 Version 1709 for x64-based Systems; version=10 Version 1803 for 32-bit Systems; version=10 Version 1803 for ARM64-based Systems; version=10 Version 1803 for x64-based Systems; version=10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems; version=10 Version 1809 for ARM64-based Systems; version=10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems; version=7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1; version=7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1; version=8.1 for 32-bit systems; version=8.1 for x64-based systems; version=RT 8.1
Microsoft · Windows Serverversion=2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2; version=2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (Core installation); version=2008 for Itanium-Based Systems Service Pack 2; version=2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2; version=2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (Core installation); version=2008 R2 for Itanium-Based Systems Service Pack 1; version=2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1; version=2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Core installation); version=2012; version=2012 (Core installation); version=2012 R2; version=2012 R2 (Core installation); version=2016; version=2016 (Core installation); version=2019; version=2019 (Core installation); version=version 1803 (Core Installation)
Microsoft · Windows Server, version 1909 (Server Core installation)version=unspecified
Microsoft · Windows 10 Version 1903version=unspecified

Published CVSS scores

7.2NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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