CVE-2020-12615

Local privilege escalation via reusable Add Admin token

Published Dec 12, 2023 · Updated Aug 28, 2024

Privilege escalation in BeyondTrust Privilege Management for Windows before 5.6 SR2 allows local users to gain elevated rights. The custom-token path permits a user-owned Add Admin token at medium integrity without preventing another process from stealing and reusing it. Local access and a policy that creates this token are required; exploitation runs an attacker-chosen process with the token’s administrative privileges.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.22%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in BeyondTrust Privilege Management for Windows before 5.6 SR2 allows local users to gain elevated rights. The custom-token path permits a user-owned Add Admin token at medium integrity without preventing another process from stealing and reusing it. Local access and a policy that creates this token are required; exploitation runs an attacker-chosen process with the token’s administrative privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-12615
Published
Dec 12, 2023
Updated
Aug 28, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-269, T1134.001
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 12, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 28, 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?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

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.

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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-269Improper Privilege Management
T1134.001Token Impersonation/Theft

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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