CVE-2020-5836Public exploit

Local privilege escalation via hardlink ACL reset

Published May 11, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Privilege escalation in Broadcom Symantec Endpoint Protection before 14.3 allows local users to gain elevated file access via a hardlink. A writable IPS data directory lets a limited user replace PEP_RUL.dat.bak with a hardlink, after which the privileged service resets the target file's ACL. Exploitation requires Windows, disabled Tamper Protection, and a service restart, and it can make a protected executable or DLL writable.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.37%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in Broadcom Symantec Endpoint Protection before 14.3 allows local users to gain elevated file access via a hardlink. A writable IPS data directory lets a limited user replace PEP_RUL.dat.bak with a hardlink, after which the privileged service resets the target file's ACL. Exploitation requires Windows, disabled Tamper Protection, and a service restart, and it can make a protected executable or DLL writable.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-5836
Published
May 11, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Broadcom
Product
Symantec Endpoint Protection
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 11, 2020CVE 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=Prior to 14.3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Broadcom · Symantec Endpoint Protectionversion=Prior to 14.3

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.7BroadcomCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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