Local privilege escalation via unquoted service path
Published Jan 27, 2026 · Updated Jan 27, 2026
Privilege escalation in Qualcomm Atheros Coex Service Application 8.0.0.255 allows local users to execute code as LocalSystem. The ZAtheros Bt&Wlan Coex Agent registers Aht_CoexAgent.exe as an automatically started LocalSystem service using an unquoted path under C:\Program Files (x86). A low-privileged user who can place an executable in a searched parent directory gains LocalSystem execution when the service starts.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in Qualcomm Atheros Coex Service Application 8.0.0.255 allows local users to execute code as LocalSystem. The ZAtheros Bt&Wlan Coex Agent registers Aht_CoexAgent.exe as an automatically started LocalSystem service using an unquoted path under C:\Program Files (x86). A low-privileged user who can place an executable in a searched parent directory gains LocalSystem execution when the service starts.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2020-36979
- Published
- Jan 27, 2026
- Updated
- Jan 27, 2026
- Vendor
- Qualcomm Atheros
- Product
- Atheros Coex Service Application
- Classifications
- CWE-428, T1574.009
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 27, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jan 27, 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=8.0.0.255
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
- Exploit-DB 49053 Atheros Coex Service unquoted path PoCproof 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