CVE-2020-17073 : Security Advisory and Response

Windows Update Orchestrator Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability was published by Microsoft on November 10, 2020. It affects various versions of Windows 10 and Windows Server.

Understanding CVE-2020-17073

This CVE identifies an Elevation of Privilege vulnerability in the Windows Update Orchestrator Service.

What is CVE-2020-17073?

The CVE-2020-17073 vulnerability pertains to an elevation of privilege issue within the Windows Update Orchestrator Service, potentially allowing attackers to gain elevated privileges on the affected system.

The Impact of CVE-2020-17073

The impact of this vulnerability is rated as HIGH with a CVSS base score of 7.8. If exploited, attackers could execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, leading to full system compromise.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-17073

This section provides technical details about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability allows attackers to elevate their privileges on the system by exploiting the Windows Update Orchestrator Service.

Affected Systems and Versions

Windows 10 Version 1909 (32-bit Systems, x64-based Systems, ARM64-based Systems)
Windows Server, version 1909 (Server Core installation, x64-based Systems)
Windows 10 Version 1903 for 32-bit Systems, x64-based Systems, and ARM64-based Systems
Windows Server, version 1903 (Server Core installation, x64-based Systems)
Windows 10 Version 2004 (32-bit Systems, ARM64-based Systems, x64-based Systems)
Windows Server version 2004 (x64-based Systems)
Windows 10 Version 20H2 (32-bit Systems, ARM64-based Systems)
Windows Server version 20H2 (x64-based Systems)

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by a local attacker to run arbitrary code with elevated privileges on the affected system.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protect your systems from CVE-2020-17073 with the following steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply the latest security updates from Microsoft.
Monitor for any unusual system behavior that could indicate exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement the principle of least privilege to restrict user permissions.
Regularly update and patch all software and systems to prevent vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that all affected systems are updated with the latest security patches provided by Microsoft to mitigate the CVE-2020-17073 vulnerability.