Vulnerability · Published Oct 16, 2020 · Assigned by microsoft
CVE-2020-16890Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
High 7.8
In plain English
A high-severity security flaw in Windows 10 Version 1709 from Microsoft. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 1.0% (higher than 63% of all known vulnerabilities).
Official description
<p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.</p> <p>To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application to take control of an affected system.</p> <p>The update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how the Windows kernel handles objects in memory.</p>