WinINet API Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
Published Sep 11, 2020
8.8
HIGHCVSS 3.1
EPSS 3.74%
Description
<p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way that the Wininit.dll handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.</p> <p>There are multiple ways an attacker could exploit the vulnerability:</p> <ul> <li><p>In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a specially crafted website that is designed to exploit this vulnerability and then convince a user to view the website. An attacker would have no way to force users to view the attacker-controlled content. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to take action, typically by getting them to click a link in an email message or in an Instant Messenger message that takes users to the attacker's website, or by opening an attachment sent through email.</p> </li> <li><p>In a file sharing attack scenario, an attacker could provide a specially crafted document file that is designed to exploit this vulnerability, and then convince a user to open the document file.</p> </li> </ul> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by ensuring the Wininit.dll properly handles objects in memory.</p>
Affected products
-
- Version 1.0.0StatusaffectedConstraints<publication
- Version
Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).
| Vendor | Product | Default status | Versions | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Internet Explorer 11 | n/a |
|
- 11
Running on/with
- n/a
- 1607
- 1709
- 1803
- 1809
- 1903
- 1909
- 2004
- n/a
- n/a
- n/a
- r2
- n/a
- r2
- n/a
- n/a
No data.
No Red Hat product state for this CVE.
No package ranges for this CVE.
Remediation
No remediation recorded yet.
Metrics
No CVSS v4.0 score for this CVE.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
1 other source (CVE.org) ▾
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C
No CVSS v3.0 score for this CVE.
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
This CVE is not in the KEV list.
No CISA SSVC assessment for this CVE yet.
Estimated probability of exploitation in the wild in the next 30 days (FIRST EPSS). As of Oct 1, 2026.
Score over time
2021–2026- EPSS v1
- EPSS v5
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
Percentile over time
- EPSS v1
- EPSS v5
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
Table of values (22 key points)
Flat stretches are collapsed; showing up to 120 newest points.
| Date | Score | Percentile | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | 3.74% (0.03741) | 89.50th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jun 15, 2026 | 3.74% (0.03741) | 88.40th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Oct 23, 2025 | 15.94% (0.15942) | 94.45th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| May 30, 2025 | 14.86% (0.14862) | 94.15th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 30, 2025 | 11.33% (0.11330) | 92.91th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 29, 2025 | 39.92% (0.39917) | 95.97th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 17, 2025 | 11.33% (0.11330) | 93.01th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Dec 12, 2024 | 0.69% (0.00695) | 80.89th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| May 3, 2024 | 0.69% (0.00695) | 80.08th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Jan 15, 2024 | 0.69% (0.00695) | 78.06th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Jan 1, 2024 | 0.50% (0.00504) | 73.88th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Dec 29, 2023 | 0.64% (0.00637) | 76.87th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Sep 3, 2023 | 0.78% (0.00780) | 79.17th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 7, 2023 | 0.38% (0.00381) | 68.73th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 6, 2023 | 2.63% (0.02632) | 82.21th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Apr 1, 2022 | 2.63% (0.02632) | 80.45th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Mar 30, 2022 | 17.53% (0.17530) | 93.38th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 4, 2022 | 16.36% (0.16358) | 92.85th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 3, 2022 | 17.64% (0.17642) | 92.83th | v1 |
| Jan 6, 2022 | 17.64% (0.17642) | 92.74th | v1 |
| Jan 5, 2022 | 4.56% (0.04557) | 86.73th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Apr 14, 2021 | 4.56% (0.04557) | 0.00th | v1 |
No CWE recorded.
References (1)
- https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-1012 x_refsource_MISCPatchVendor Advisory
| Link | Providers | Tags |
|---|---|---|
| https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-1012 | x_refsource_MISCPatchVendor Advisory |
Change history (0)
No recorded changes yet.