SYSTEM escalation via PackageAppInstaller data race
Published May 21, 2020 · Updated Aug 19, 2026
Privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows Runtime on affected Windows 10 and Windows Server releases allows local users to run code as SYSTEM. PackageAppInstaller exposes thread-unsafe COM behavior whose concurrent invocation causes a data race and memory corruption. A specially crafted local application, including code running inside an application sandbox, must invoke the affected behavior; successful exploitation escapes the sandbox and gains SYSTEM privileges.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows Runtime on affected Windows 10 and Windows Server releases allows local users to run code as SYSTEM. PackageAppInstaller exposes thread-unsafe COM behavior whose concurrent invocation causes a data race and memory corruption. A specially crafted local application, including code running inside an application sandbox, must invoke the affected behavior; successful exploitation escapes the sandbox and gains SYSTEM privileges.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2020-1151
- Published
- May 21, 2020
- Updated
- Aug 19, 2026
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows Server 2019
- Classifications
- T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 21, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 19, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=10.0.17763.0 <publication
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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