CVE-2020-6917

SYSTEM file creation via certificate-check race

Published Feb 16, 2022 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Race condition in HP Support Assistant before 9.11 allows local users to create arbitrary files with SYSTEM privileges through its API. The UncompressCabFile function checks a CAB or ZIP file's digital certificate before extraction, leaving a race window in which trusted content can be replaced before use. Exploitation requires a local unprivileged user and interaction, and chaining the file write with DLL sideloading executes code as SYSTEM.

CVSS severity7.2
High
EPSS probability0.86%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Race condition in HP Support Assistant before 9.11 allows local users to create arbitrary files with SYSTEM privileges through its API. The UncompressCabFile function checks a CAB or ZIP file's digital certificate before extraction, leaving a race window in which trusted content can be replaced before use. Exploitation requires a local unprivileged user and interaction, and chaining the file write with DLL sideloading executes code as SYSTEM.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-6917
Published
Feb 16, 2022
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Plantronics
Product
HP Support Assistant
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 16, 2022CVE 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?

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  1. Affected versionversion=before 9.11

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Plantronics · HP Support Assistantversion=before 9.11

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.8NIST NVDAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
7.2HP Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A: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 exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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