CVE-2020-37253Public exploit

LocalSystem escalation via unquoted service binary path

Published Jun 19, 2026 · Updated Jun 19, 2026

Unquoted service path handling in Winstep Xtreme 18.06.0096 allows local users to execute code with LocalSystem privileges. The Winstep Xtreme Service registers C:\Program Files\Winstep\WsxService as its binary path without quotation marks, so Windows can resolve an attacker-planted executable first. A local user able to place a matching executable in Program Files gains LocalSystem execution when the automatically started service launches.

CVSS severity8.5
High
EPSS probability0.16%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Unquoted service path handling in Winstep Xtreme 18.06.0096 allows local users to execute code with LocalSystem privileges. The Winstep Xtreme Service registers C:\Program Files\Winstep\WsxService as its binary path without quotation marks, so Windows can resolve an attacker-planted executable first. A local user able to place a matching executable in Program Files gains LocalSystem execution when the automatically started service launches.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-37253
Published
Jun 19, 2026
Updated
Jun 19, 2026
Vendor
Winstep Software Technologies
Product
Winstep Xtreme
Classifications
CWE-428, T1574.009
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 19, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jun 19, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=18.06.0096

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Winstep Software Technologies · Winstep Xtremeversion=18.06.0096

Published CVSS scores

7.8VulnCheckCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
8.5VulnCheckCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

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-428Unquoted Search Path or Element
T1574.009Path Interception by Unquoted Path

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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