{"id":"CVE-2020-1012","url":"https://www.cyber-defence.io/tools/cve/CVE-2020-1012","generatedAt":"2026-10-27T23:36:16.764Z","title":"<p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way that the Wininit.dll handles objects in memory.","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>\n<p>There are multiple ways an attacker could exploit the vulnerability:</p>\n<ul>\n<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>\n</li>\n<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>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by ensuring the Wininit.dll properly handles objects in memory.</p>","published":"2020-09-11T17:15:18.000Z","lastModified":"2026-06-17T03:00:13.000Z","status":"Modified","sourceIdentifier":"secure@microsoft.com","cvss":{"version":"3.1","score":8.8,"severity":"HIGH","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"},"cwe":[],"affected":["microsoft/internet explorer"],"epss":{"score":0.03741,"percentile":0.89777,"date":"2026-10-26","history":[]},"kev":{"listed":false},"exploits":{"count":0,"verified":false,"firstPublished":null,"source":"Exploit-DB (https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb)","entries":[]},"verdict":{"level":"high","text":"High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (3.74%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit."},"changes":[],"references":[{"url":"https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-1012","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"],"source":"secure@microsoft.com"},{"url":"https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-1012","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"}],"sources":{"nvd":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-1012","epss":"https://www.first.org/epss/","kev":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","exploitdb":"https://www.exploit-db.com/"},"licence":"CC BY 4.0 — link back to the CVE Explorer if you publish the results; upstream data remains subject to its own terms."}