CVE-2020-12612

Name: CVE-2020-12612
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2023-12-12T14:15:07.327+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7.8/10EPSS 0.26%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-12612 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.8/10 on the CVSS scale. An issue was discovered in BeyondTrust Privilege Management for Windows through 5.6. When specifying a program to elevate, it can typically be found within the Program Files (x86) folder and therefore uses the %ProgramFiles(x86)% environment variable. EPSS estimates a 0.26% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

An issue was discovered in BeyondTrust Privilege Management for Windows through 5.6. When specifying a program to elevate, it can typically be found within the Program Files (x86) folder and therefore uses the %ProgramFiles(x86)% environment variable. However, when this same policy gets pushed to a 32bit machine, this environment variable does not exist. Therefore, since the standard user can create a user level environment variable, they can repoint this variable to any folder the user has full control of. Then, the folder structure can be created in such a way that a rule matches and arbitrary code runs elevated.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.8/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Probability

0.26%

16.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Beyondtrust	Privilege Management For Windows	< 5.6
Beyondtrust	Privilege Management For Windows	5.6

References

https://www.beyondtrust.com/support/changelog/privilege-management-for-windows-5-6-sr1Release Notes
https://www.beyondtrust.com/trust-center/security-advisories/bt22-09Vendor Advisory
https://www.beyondtrust.com/support/changelog/privilege-management-for-windows-5-6-sr1Release Notes
https://www.beyondtrust.com/trust-center/security-advisories/bt22-09Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Dec 12, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-12612?

How severe is CVE-2020-12612?

CVE-2020-12612 has a CVSS score of 7.8/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.26% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-12612?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2020-12612?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST