CVE-2020-16980 Windows iSCSI Target Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

High 7.8 Published 16 Oct 2020 Updated 4 Aug 2024

An attacker with local code execution can exploit improper file handling in the Windows iSCSI Target Service to gain elevated privileges.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: Any signed-in user
Attackable: Local or same network only
Victim action needed: Not needed
Fix: None listed

What is CVE-2020-16980?

CVE-2020-16980 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Server 2012, published on 16 Oct 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 the Windows iSCSI Target Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain elevated privileges. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would first need code execution on a victim system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application. The security update addresses the vulnerability by ensuring the Windows iSCSI Target Service properly handles file operations.

Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-16980?

It affects 3 products.

Products include Microsoft Windows Server 2012, Microsoft Windows Server 2016, Microsoft Windows Server 2019.

How do I fix CVE-2020-16980?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-16980 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

Is CVE-2020-16980 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-16980 in the wild and no public exploit code.

All Microsoft Windows Server 2012 vulnerabilities

Sources

Also known as GHSA-c85p-cp3c-gc6c.