CVE-2024-20656Public exploit

SYSTEM privilege escalation via linked scratch directory

Published Jan 9, 2024 · Updated May 3, 2025

Link-following in affected Microsoft Visual Studio releases allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges through the diagnostics service. VSStandardCollectorService150 accepts an attacker-controlled scratch location and follows junctions and object-manager links when resetting a report file's DACL. A low-privilege local user can redirect the SYSTEM service's permission change, replace MofCompiler.exe, and obtain SYSTEM code execution during repair.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability3.95%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Link-following in affected Microsoft Visual Studio releases allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges through the diagnostics service. VSStandardCollectorService150 accepts an attacker-controlled scratch location and follows junctions and object-manager links when resetting a report file's DACL. A low-privilege local user can redirect the SYSTEM service's permission change, replace MofCompiler.exe, and obtain SYSTEM code execution during repair.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-20656
Published
Jan 9, 2024
Updated
May 3, 2025
Vendor
Microsoft
Product
Microsoft Visual Studio 2019
Classifications
CWE-59, T1574.010
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 9, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 3, 2025Record 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=16.11.0 <16.11.33

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Microsoft · Microsoft Visual Studio 2019version=16.11.0 <16.11.33
Microsoft · Microsoft Visual Studio 2015version=14.0.0 <14.0.27560.00
Microsoft · Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 version 17.6version=17.6.0 <17.6.11
Microsoft · Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 version 17.4version=17.4.0 <17.4.15
Microsoft · Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 version 17.2version=17.2.0 <17.2.23
Microsoft · Microsoft Visual Studio 2017version=15.9.0 <15.9.59

Published CVSS scores

7.8MicrosoftCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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.

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-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
T1574.010Services File Permissions Weakness

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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