Local privilege escalation via unquoted service path
Published Feb 3, 2026 · Updated Feb 3, 2026
Unquoted service path handling in Flexense DiskSorter Enterprise 12.4.16 allows local users to execute code with LocalSystem privileges. The Windows service configuration leaves its executable path unquoted, allowing Windows to resolve an attacker-planted executable earlier in the space-delimited path. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access and permission to place a file in a searched parent directory; successful execution grants service-account control.
Summary
What happened
Unquoted service path handling in Flexense DiskSorter Enterprise 12.4.16 allows local users to execute code with LocalSystem privileges. The Windows service configuration leaves its executable path unquoted, allowing Windows to resolve an attacker-planted executable earlier in the space-delimited path. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access and permission to place a file in a searched parent directory; successful execution grants service-account control.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2020-37098
- Published
- Feb 3, 2026
- Updated
- Feb 3, 2026
- Vendor
- Flexense Ltd.
- Product
- DiskSorter Enterprise
- Classifications
- CWE-428, T1574.009
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 3, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Feb 3, 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=12.4.16
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
- Disk Sorter Enterprise 12.4.16 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