LocalSystem code execution via unquoted service path
Published Jan 25, 2026 · Updated Jan 25, 2026
Unquoted service path handling in Microvirt MEmu Play 3.7.0 allows local users to execute code with LocalSystem privileges. The MEmusvc service registers C:\Program Files\Microvirt\MEmu\MemuService.exe without surrounding quotation marks, allowing Windows to resolve an attacker-placed executable from an earlier path segment. A low-privileged user must be able to write such an executable and trigger or await service startup; successful exploitation runs it as LocalSystem.
Summary
What happened
Unquoted service path handling in Microvirt MEmu Play 3.7.0 allows local users to execute code with LocalSystem privileges. The MEmusvc service registers C:\Program Files\Microvirt\MEmu\MemuService.exe without surrounding quotation marks, allowing Windows to resolve an attacker-placed executable from an earlier path segment. A low-privileged user must be able to write such an executable and trigger or await service startup; successful exploitation runs it as LocalSystem.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2020-36937
- Published
- Jan 25, 2026
- Updated
- Jan 25, 2026
- Vendor
- Microvirt
- Product
- MEmu Play
- Classifications
- CWE-428, T1574.009
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 25, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jan 25, 2026Record 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.
- Affected versionversion=3.7.0
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
- MEMU PLAY 3.7.0 MEmusvc Unquoted Service Pathproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo