# CVE-2020-5569: Privilege escalation in HDD Password tool (for Windows)

> Attackers can execute arbitrary code with Windows service privileges by placing a malicious executable in a path with spaces due to unquoted service paths.

- **Severity:** High 8.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **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:** 20 Apr 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-mg44-xqjw-5phc

## What is CVE-2020-5569?

CVE-2020-5569 is a high-severity vulnerability in Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation HDD Password tool (for Windows), published on 20 Apr 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An unquoted search path vulnerability exists in HDD Password tool (for Windows) version 1.20.6620 and earlier which is stored in CANVIO PREMIUM 3TB(HD-MB30TY, HD-MA30TY, HD-MB30TS, HD-MA30TS), CANVIO PREMIUM 2TB(HD-MB20TY, HD-MA20TY, HD-MB20TS, HD-MA20TS), CANVIO PREMIUM 1TB(HD-MB10TY, HD-MA10TY, HD-MB10TS, HD-MA10TS), CANVIO SLIM 1TB(HD-SB10TK, HD-SB10TS), and CANVIO SLIM 500GB(HD-SB50GK, HD-SA50GK, HD-SB50GS, HD-SA50GS), and which was downloaded before 2020 May 10. Since it registers Windows services with unquoted file paths, when a registered path contains spaces, and a malicious executable is placed on a certain path, it may be executed with the privilege of the Windows service.

Weakness: CWE-428 (Unquoted Search Path or Element)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-5569?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Toshiba Password Tool for Windows.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-5569?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-5569 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-5569 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-5569 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-5569 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-5569 is a high-severity vulnerability in Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation HDD Password tool (for Windows), published on 20 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-2020-5569 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation HDD Password tool (for Windows). 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-2020-5569/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-5569/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-5569
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-5569
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-5569

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-5569/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.