CVE-2020-0787
Microsoft Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) Improper Privilege Management Vulnerability
Does this matter?
Known to be exploited in the wild (CISA KEV, CISA remediation deadline 28 July 2022). Treat as an emergency change: patch or isolate now, then hunt for prior compromise.
Description
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) improperly handles symbolic links, aka 'Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.
- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 42.52% probability · 99th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Listed 28 January 2022 · due 28 July 2022 · used in ransomware campaigns
- Weakness
- CWE-59
- Affected
- microsoft/windows 10 1507 · microsoft/windows 10 1607 · microsoft/windows 10 1709 · microsoft/windows 10 1803 · microsoft/windows 10 1809 · microsoft/windows 10 1903 · microsoft/windows 10 1909 · microsoft/windows 7 · microsoft/windows 8.1 · microsoft/windows rt 8.1 · microsoft/windows server 1803 · microsoft/windows server 1903 · microsoft/windows server 1909 · microsoft/windows server 2008 · microsoft/windows server 2012 · microsoft/windows server 2016 · microsoft/windows server 2019
- Source
- secure@microsoft.com
EPSS 42.5% since 26 October 2026; no change recorded yet. The dashed line is the ten per cent mark our analysts treat as “patch before the next change window”. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
CISA notes
Apply updates per vendor instructions. https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-0787
References
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/158056/Background-Intelligent-Transfer-Service-Privilege-Escalation.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-0787Patch, Vendor Advisory
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/158056/Background-Intelligent-Transfer-Service-Privilege-Escalation.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-0787Patch, Vendor Advisory
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-0787US Government Resource
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.