CVE-2020-1066 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A privilege elevation vulnerability in the Microsoft .NET Framework that enables attackers to escalate their privilege levels and execute malicious programs.

Understanding CVE-2020-1066

What is CVE-2020-1066?

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in .NET Framework allows attackers to raise their privilege levels by exploiting how .NET Framework activates COM objects.

The Impact of CVE-2020-1066

The vulnerability poses a significant risk as attackers can escalate their privileges on the affected system.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-1066

Vulnerability Description

Vulnerability Type: Elevation of Privilege
Description: Attackers can raise their privilege level by running a malicious program after gaining local access.

Affected Systems and Versions

Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0: Service Pack 2 on Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit and x64-based Systems
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5.1: Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 for 32-bit and x64-based Systems

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability is exploited by accessing the local machine first and then executing a malicious program.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply the security update provided by Microsoft to address the vulnerability.
Implement the principle of least privilege to restrict user access rights.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and frameworks to patch known vulnerabilities.
Conduct security training for users to recognize and report suspicious activities.

Patching and Updates

Update the affected Microsoft .NET Framework versions with the security patch released by Microsoft to mitigate the elevation of privilege vulnerability.