Go to homepageCyberStrike

Menu

Star on GitHub · 3.2k
Sign inDownload

CVE-2020-16851

7.1 · HIGH

<p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the OneDrive for Windows Desktop application improperly handles symbolic links.

Published Sep 11, 2020CWE-59EPSS 0.97%

Overview

CVE-2020-16851 is a high-severity vulnerability. It was published on September 11, 2020 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1 (HIGH).

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1, rated HIGH. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

Technical description

<p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the OneDrive for Windows Desktop application improperly handles symbolic links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could overwrite a targeted file with an elevated status.</p>

<p>To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability and delete a targeted file with an elevated status.</p>

<p>The update addresses this vulnerability by correcting where the OneDrive updater performs file writes while running with elevation.</p>

Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

References

Refportal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-16851Refportal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-16851

How CyberStrike helps

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-16851?

CVE-2020-16851 is a high-severity vulnerability. It was published on September 11, 2020 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2020-16851?

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1, rated HIGH. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

How do I fix or remediate CVE-2020-16851?

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2020-16851?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2020-16851 is actually reachable in your own applications and APIs, then verifies each finding before reporting it. That tells you if the weakness is a real, exploitable risk in your environment or a false positive you can safely deprioritize.

Related HIGH CVEs from 2020

View all
Browse by year2026202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999