CVE-2020-24681

Privilege escalation via modifiable Windows service configurations

Published Feb 2, 2024 · Updated May 9, 2025

Privilege escalation in B&R Automation Studio and PVI allows local users to execute arbitrary code with elevated Windows privileges. The BrDiskImageSvcx and PviManSvcx services are installed with permissions that let nonprivileged users alter their manually started service configurations. Exploitation requires an authenticated local Windows session and compromises the operating system and its data.

CVSS severity8.2
High
EPSS probability0.15%
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 B&R Automation Studio and PVI allows local users to execute arbitrary code with elevated Windows privileges. The BrDiskImageSvcx and PviManSvcx services are installed with permissions that let nonprivileged users alter their manually started service configurations. Exploitation requires an authenticated local Windows session and compromises the operating system and its data.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-24681
Published
Feb 2, 2024
Updated
May 9, 2025
Vendor
B&R Industrial Automation
Product
Automation Studio
Classifications
CWE-732, T1543.003
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 2, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 9, 2025Record 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=4.6.0 <=4.6.x
  2. Affected versionversion=4.7.0 <4.7.7 SP
  3. Affected versionversion=4.8.0 <4.8.6 SP
  4. Affected versionversion=4.9.0 <4.9.4 SP

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

B&R Industrial Automation · Automation Studioversion=4.6.0 <=4.6.x; version=4.7.0 <4.7.7 SP; version=4.8.0 <4.8.6 SP; version=4.9.0 <4.9.4 SP
B&R Industrial Automation · Automation Net/PVIversion=4.6.0 <=4.6.x; version=4.7.0 <4.7.7; version=4.8.0 <4.8.6; version=4.9.0 <4.9.4

Published CVSS scores

8.2Asea Brown Boveri Ltd. (ABB)CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
8.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/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 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-732Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource
T1543.003Windows Service

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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