# CVE-2020-16268: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Attackers can gain elevated privileges via the MSI repair option in 1E Client when a specific transform disables the Nomad module.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 29 Dec 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-wf9q-mxc5-jqf9

## What is CVE-2020-16268?

CVE-2020-16268 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 29 Dec 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The MSI installer in 1E Client 4.1.0.267 and 5.0.0.745 allows remote authenticated users and local users to gain elevated privileges via the repair option. This applies to installations that have a TRANSFORM (MST) with the option to disable the installation of the Nomad module. An attacker may craft a .reg file in a specific location that will be able to write to any registry key as an elevated user.

Weakness: CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component), CWE-668 (Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-16268?

It affects 1 product.


Products: 1e Client.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-16268?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-16268 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-16268 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-16268 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2023-45160](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-45160/): Elevated Temp Directory Execution in 1E Client (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2020-27644](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-27644/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2020-27645](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-27645/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2023-45159](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-45159/): 1E Client installer can perform arbitrary file deletion on protected files (high 8.4)
- [CVE-2020-27643](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-27643/): Path traversal in n/a (medium 6.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-16268 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-16268 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 29 Dec 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-16268 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. 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-2020-16268/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-16268/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-16268
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-16268
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-16268

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-16268/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.