# CVE-2020-0835: Privilege escalation in Windows Defender antimalware platform

> Attackers can exploit improper hard link handling in Windows Defender to elevate privileges on affected systems.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 15 Apr 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-fj83-7fq4-4858

## What is CVE-2020-0835?

CVE-2020-0835 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Defender antimalware platform, published on 15 Apr 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Windows Defender antimalware platform improperly handles hard links, aka 'Windows Defender Antimalware Platform Hard Link Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-0835?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Microsoft Windows Defender.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-0835?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-0835 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-0835 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-0835 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows Defender antimalware platform

- [CVE-2023-36422](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-36422/): Microsoft Windows Defender Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2023-38175](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-38175/): Microsoft Windows Defender Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2013-0078](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-0078/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 7.2)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-0835 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-0835 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Defender antimalware platform, published on 15 Apr 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-0835 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Microsoft Windows Defender antimalware platform. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-0835/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-0835/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-0835
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-0835
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-0835

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-0835/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.