CVE-2020-14418Public exploit

SYSTEM privilege escalation via unnormalized junction path

Published Jan 30, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

TOCTOU in madCodeHook before 2020-07-16 allows local users to execute attacker-controlled code as SYSTEM through a directory junction. The kernel-mode injection driver validates a signed DLL through an attacker-created junction but retains the unnormalized path, allowing the junction target to be replaced afterward. A low-privileged Windows user who can issue the driver's IOCTL can make a SYSTEM service load the replacement DLL.

CVSS severity7.0
High
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

TOCTOU in madCodeHook before 2020-07-16 allows local users to execute attacker-controlled code as SYSTEM through a directory junction. The kernel-mode injection driver validates a signed DLL through an attacker-created junction but retains the unnormalized path, allowing the junction target to be replaced afterward. A low-privileged Windows user who can issue the driver's IOCTL can make a SYSTEM service load the replacement DLL.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-14418
Published
Jan 30, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-367, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 30, 2021CVE 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?

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

6.9NIST NVDAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
7.0NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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 exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-367Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

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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