CVE-2020-5147Public exploit

Local privilege escalation via unquoted service path

Published Jan 9, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Unquoted service path handling in SonicWall NetExtender 10.2.300 and earlier allows local users to gain elevated Windows privileges. The sonicwall_client_protection_svc service registers C:\Program Files\SonicWall\Client Protection Service\SonicWallClientProtectionService.exe without quotation marks. A low-privileged local user who can place an executable in a searched path location can have it launched under the service's elevated account when the service starts.

CVSS severity5.3
Medium
EPSS probability1.66%
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 SonicWall NetExtender 10.2.300 and earlier allows local users to gain elevated Windows privileges. The sonicwall_client_protection_svc service registers C:\Program Files\SonicWall\Client Protection Service\SonicWallClientProtectionService.exe without quotation marks. A low-privileged local user who can place an executable in a searched path location can have it launched under the service's elevated account when the service starts.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-5147
Published
Jan 9, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
SonicWall
Product
SonicWall NetExtender
Classifications
CWE-428, T1574.009
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 9, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record 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=10.2.300 and earlier

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

SonicWall · SonicWall NetExtenderversion=10.2.300 and earlier

Published CVSS scores

4.6NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
5.3NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

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 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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