# CVE-2020-37031: Simple Startup Manager 1.17 - 'File' Local Buffer Overflow

> Attackers can execute arbitrary code locally by exploiting a buffer overflow in the File input parameter of Simple Startup Manager.

- **Severity:** High 8.6 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 30 Jan 2026
- **Updated:** 3 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5qx9-7gxr-8h58

## What is CVE-2020-37031?

CVE-2020-37031 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Ashkon Software Simple Startup Manager, published on 30 Jan 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Simple Startup Manager 1.17 contains a local buffer overflow vulnerability that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by overwriting memory through the 'File' input parameter. Attackers can craft a malicious payload with 268 bytes to trigger code execution, bypassing DEP and overwriting memory addresses to launch calc.exe.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-37031?


## How do I fix CVE-2020-37031?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-37031 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-37031 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2020-37031 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-37031 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-37031 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Ashkon Software Simple Startup Manager, published on 30 Jan 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2020-37031 exists.

Affected product: Ashkon Software Simple Startup Manager. 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-2020-37031/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-37031/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-37031
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-37031
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-37031

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-37031/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.