CVE-2020-37253 Winstep 18.06.0096 Unquoted Service Path Privilege Escalation
Local attackers can escalate privileges to LocalSystem by placing malicious executables in the Program Files directory due to an unquoted service path.
- 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-2020-37253?
CVE-2020-37253 is a high-severity vulnerability in Winstep, published on 19 Jun 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
Winstep 18.06.0096 contains an unquoted service path vulnerability in the Winstep Xtreme Service that allows local attackers to escalate privileges. Attackers can place malicious executables in the Program Files directory to be executed with LocalSystem privileges when the service starts.
Weakness: CWE-428
Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-37253?
How do I fix CVE-2020-37253?
No fix has been published for CVE-2020-37253 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Is CVE-2020-37253 being exploited?
It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2020-37253 exists.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-vcqw-5625-54xg.