CVE-2020-1526 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Windows Network Connection Broker Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability was published on August 17, 2020, by Microsoft.

Understanding CVE-2020-1526

What is CVE-2020-1526?

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Windows Network Connection Broker allows attackers to execute specially crafted applications to gain elevated privileges.

The Impact of CVE-2020-1526

This vulnerability has a high severity rating (CVSS score of 7.8), posing a risk of unauthorized privilege escalation on affected systems.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-1526

Vulnerability Description

The flaw arises from improper memory handling in the Windows Network Connection Broker component.

Affected Systems and Versions

Versions: Windows 10 1803, 1809, 1909, Server 2019, Server 2016, 2004, and others
Platforms: x64, ARM64, and 32-bit systems

Exploitation Mechanism

To exploit, attackers must first execute code on the target system. They can then run a specially crafted application to escalate privileges.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

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

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update system software and security patches to mitigate future risks.
Conduct security assessments and penetration testing to identify and remediate vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Download and apply the patch released by Microsoft to fix the Windows Network Connection Broker Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability.