CVE-2020-1536 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Windows Backup Engine Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability identified by Microsoft on August 11, 2020.

Understanding CVE-2020-1536

Windows Backup Engine vulnerability that allows elevation of privilege attacks.

What is CVE-2020-1536?

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Windows Backup Engine due to memory handling.
Attackers with local access can exploit this flaw to run specially crafted applications and escalate privileges.

The Impact of CVE-2020-1536

Impact Type: Elevation of Privilege
Severity: High
CVSS Base Score: 7.8
The vulnerability can lead to unauthorized privilege escalation on affected systems.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-1536

Vulnerability specifics and affected systems.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw arises from improper memory handling in the Windows Backup Engine.
Attackers need prior execution on the victim's system to exploit the vulnerability.
Microsoft addressed the issue by correcting memory handling in the Backup Engine.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Platforms: 32-bit Systems, ARM64-based Systems, x64-based Systems
Vulnerable Versions: Windows 10 Version 2004, 1803, 1809, 1909, 1709, 1507, 1607, Windows 7, Windows 7 Service Pack 1, Windows 8.1

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers with local access execute a specially crafted application to gain elevated privileges.

Mitigation and Prevention

Ways to mitigate the vulnerability.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply the security update provided by Microsoft to fix the vulnerability.
Monitor for any suspicious activity on systems post-update.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update systems with the latest security patches.
Implement the principle of least privilege to minimize the impact of potential attacks.
Conduct regular security audits to detect and remediate vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Ensure all affected systems are updated with the patch released by Microsoft.