<p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way that the Wininit.dll handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.</p> <p>There are multiple ways an attacker could exploit the vulnerability:</p> <ul> <li><p>In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a specially crafted website that is designed to exploit this vulnerability and then convince a user to view the website. An attacker would have no way to force users to view the attacker-controlled content. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to take action, typically by getting them to click a link in an email message or in an Instant Messenger message that takes users to the attacker's website, or by opening an attachment sent through email.</p> </li> <li><p>In a file sharing attack scenario, an attacker could provide a specially crafted document file that is designed to exploit this vulnerability, and then convince a user to open the document file.</p> </li> </ul> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by ensuring the Wininit.dll properly handles objects in memory.</p>
This vulnerability carries a HIGH severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.8, indicating it can be exploited remotely over the network with relatively low complexity though user interaction is required and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), integrity (unauthorized modifications), and availability (service disruption) for affected systems. Impacting 9 products from microsoft, from microsoft, from microsoft and 6 others, organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.
Reported in 2020, this vulnerability emerged during an era marked by increased sophistication in supply chain attacks, cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) security challenges. Security practices during this period emphasized zero-trust architectures, container security, and API protection.
2020-09-11T17:15:17.807
2026-02-23T18:22:59.233
Modified
CVSSv3.1: 8.8 (HIGH)
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
8.6
6.4
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version/Range | Vulnerable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application | microsoft | internet_explorer | 11 | Yes |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_10 | - | No |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_10 | 1607 | No |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_10 | 1709 | No |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_10 | 1803 | No |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_10 | 1809 | No |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_10 | 1903 | No |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_10 | 1909 | No |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_10 | 2004 | No |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_7 | - | No |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_8.1 | - | No |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_rt_8.1 | - | No |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_server_2008 | r2 | No |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_server_2012 | - | No |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_server_2012 | r2 | No |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_server_2016 | - | No |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_server_2019 | - | No |
SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For microsoft's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.