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CVE-2020-0986: Microsoft Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

• Severity: high (CVSS 7.8 v3.1)
• Exploited in the wild: yes — in CISA KEV since 2021-11-03
• EPSS: 16.4% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
• Public exploit or detection template: none known
• Published: 2020-06-09 · updated 2026-06-17
• Weakness: CWE-787

Description

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory, aka 'Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2020-1237, CVE-2020-1246, CVE-2020-1262, CVE-2020-1264, CVE-2020-1266, CVE-2020-1269, CVE-2020-1273, CVE-2020-1274, CVE-2020-1275, CVE-2020-1276, CVE-2020-1307, CVE-2020-1316.

Affected products

• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1507: all versions
• Microsoft Windows 10 1607: all versions
• Microsoft Windows 10 1709: all versions
• Microsoft Windows 10 1803: all versions
• Microsoft Windows 10: all versions
• Microsoft Windows 10 1903: all versions
• Microsoft Windows 10 1909: all versions
• Microsoft Windows 10 2004: all versions
• Microsoft Windows 8.1: all versions
• Microsoft Windows RT 8.1: all versions
• Microsoft Windows Server 1803: all versions
• Microsoft Windows Server 1903: all versions
• Microsoft Windows Server 1909: all versions
• Microsoft Windows Server 2004: all versions
• Microsoft Windows Server 2012: r2
• Microsoft Windows Server 2016: all versions
• Microsoft Windows Server 2019: all versions
• Microsoft Corporation Windows: 10 Version 1803 for 32-bit Systems, 10 Version 1803 for x64-based Systems, 10 Version 1803 for ARM64-based Systems, 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems, 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems, 10 Version 1809 for ARM64-based Systems (+10)
• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1903 for 32-bit Systems: all versions
• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1903 for ARM64-based Systems: all versions
• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1903 for x64-based Systems: all versions
• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1909 for 32-bit Systems: all versions
• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1909 for ARM64-based Systems: all versions
• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1909 for x64-based Systems: all versions
• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 2004 for 32-bit Systems: all versions
• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 2004 for ARM64-based Systems: all versions
• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 2004 for x64-based Systems: all versions
• Microsoft Windows Server: version 1803 (Core Installation), 2019, 2019 (Core installation), 2016, 2016 (Core installation), 2012 (+3)
• Microsoft Windows Server, version 1903 (Server Core installation): all versions
• Microsoft Windows Server, version 1909 (Server Core installation): all versions

References

• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/160698/Microsoft-Windows-splWOW64-Privilege-Escalation.html
• https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-0986
• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/160698/Microsoft-Windows-splWOW64-Privilege-Escalation.html
• https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-0986
• https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-0986

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