CVE-2020-0787

Microsoft Windows: Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) Improper Privilege Management

As of , CVE-2020-0787 in Microsoft Windows is on CISA's list of exploited vulnerabilities: CISA listed it on . Our patch-first group: Patch this week.

Exploited
Yes: CISA listed it on 28 January 2022
US federal deadline
28 July 2022181 days after CISA listed it. US federal civilian agencies must fix it by then.
Used in ransomware campaigns
Known
EPSS score
0.43Higher than 98% of the CVEs EPSS scores. EPSS estimates the chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days.
EPSS when listed
Not availableCISA listed it before 4 February 2022, where the EPSS files we read begin.
Public exploit
1 Metasploit module
Fix
No vendor link in CISA's entry

What CISA says to do

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

CISA's required action

What the flaw is

Microsoft Windows BITS is vulnerable to to a privilege elevation vulnerability if it improperly handles symbolic links. An actor can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code with system-level privileges.

CISA's description

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) improperly handles symbolic links, aka 'Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.

The CVE record's description, from microsoft

CVE published
12 March 2020
Assigned by
microsoft
CVSS
7.8 High (CVSS 3.1, from CISA-ADP)
CWE-59
Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
CWE-269
Improper Privilege Management
CISA SSVC, exploitation
active
CISA SSVC, automatable
no
CISA SSVC, technical impact
total

Timeline

  1. The CVE record was published.
  2. CISA added it to its list of exploited vulnerabilities.
  3. The US federal deadline to fix it.

Public exploits

Facts from Metasploit's module list and Exploit-DB's index; we never copy exploit code.

  • Metasploit: Background Intelligent Transfer Service Arbitrary File Move Privilege Elevation Vulnerabilityexploit module, rank excellent

Windows: other exploited entries

VulnerabilityProductOur groupListedDeadlineEPSS
CVE-2025-60710Link FollowingMicrosoft WindowsPatch nowRansomware use, listed within a year0.05
CVE-2008-4250Buffer OverflowMicrosoft WindowsPatch this weekMetasploit module; EPSS 0.99; verified Exploit-DB entry0.99
CVE-2008-0015Video ActiveX Control Remote Code ExecutionMicrosoft WindowsPatch this weekMetasploit module; EPSS 0.77; verified Exploit-DB entry0.77
CVE-2013-3918Out-of-Bounds WriteMicrosoft WindowsPatch this weekMetasploit module; EPSS 0.74; verified Exploit-DB entry0.74
CVE-2010-2568Remote Code ExecutionMicrosoft WindowsPatch this weekMetasploit module; EPSS 0.91; verified Exploit-DB entry0.91
CVE-2015-0016TS WebProxy Directory TraversalMicrosoft WindowsPatch this weekMetasploit module; EPSS 0.76; verified Exploit-DB entry0.76
CVE-2015-2426Adobe Type Manager Library Remote Code ExecutionMicrosoft WindowsPatch this weekMetasploit module; EPSS 0.87; verified Exploit-DB entry0.87
CVE-2014-6332Object Linking & Embedding (OLE) Automation Array Remote Code ExecutionMicrosoft WindowsPatch this weekMetasploit module; EPSS 0.95; verified Exploit-DB entry0.95
CVE-2017-0146SMB Remote Code ExecutionMicrosoft WindowsPatch this weekRansomware use; Metasploit module; EPSS 0.90; verified Exploit-DB entry0.90
CVE-2014-4114Object Linking & Embedding (OLE) Remote Code ExecutionMicrosoft WindowsPatch this weekMetasploit module; EPSS 0.82; verified Exploit-DB entry0.82

All 174 entries for Windows

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