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CVE-2020-16886

MEDIUMCVSS 5.3/10EPSS 0.80%

Last modified

CVE-2020-16886 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.3/10 on the CVSS scale. <p>A security feature bypass vulnerability exists in the PowerShellGet V2 module. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could bypass WDAC (Windows Defender Application Control) policy and execute arbitrary code on a policy locked-down machine.</p> <p>An attacker must have administrator privileges to create a configuration that includes installing PowerShellGet V2 module onto a machine from the PowerShell Gallery. EPSS estimates a 0.80% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

<p>A security feature bypass vulnerability exists in the PowerShellGet V2 module. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could bypass WDAC (Windows Defender Application Control) policy and execute arbitrary code on a policy locked-down machine.</p> <p>An attacker must have administrator privileges to create a configuration that includes installing PowerShellGet V2 module onto a machine from the PowerShell Gallery. The WDAC policy must be configured to allow the module to run. After this is done, PowerShell script can be injected and run fully trusted, allowing the attacker arbitrary code execution on the machine.</p> <p>The update addresses the vulnerability by changing how URLs are processed.</p>

Metrics

CVSS 3.1
5.3/10

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

EPSS Probability
0.80%

52.0th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

VendorProductVersions
MicrosoftPowershellget2.2.5

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-16886?
<p>A security feature bypass vulnerability exists in the PowerShellGet V2 module. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could bypass WDAC (Windows Defender Application Control) policy and execute arbitrary code on a policy locked-down machine.</p> <p>An attacker must have administrator privileges to create a configuration that includes installing PowerShellGet V2 module onto a machine from the PowerShell Gallery. The WDAC policy must be configured to allow the module to run. After this is done, PowerShell script can be injected and run fully trusted, allowing the attacker arbitrary code execution on the machine.</p> <p>The update addresses the vulnerability by changing how URLs are processed.</p>
How severe is CVE-2020-16886?
CVE-2020-16886 has a CVSS score of 5.3/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.80% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2020-16886?
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-2020-16886?

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

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Source: NVD / NIST