#VU29830 Permissions, Privileges, and Access Controls in Visual Studio - CVE-2020-1416

Vulnerability identifier: #VU29830

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 7.1 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2020-1416

CWE-ID: CWE-264

Exploitation vector: Local

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
Visual Studio
Universal components / Libraries / Software for developers

Vendor: Microsoft

Description

The vulnerability allows a local user to escalate privileges on the system.

The vulnerability exists due to application does not properly impose security restrictions in Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code when they load software dependencies. A local user can plant malicious content on an affected computer and wait for another user to launch Visual Studio or Visual Studio Code, leading to privilege escalation.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

Visual Studio: 15.9, 16.0.0 16.0.28729.10, 16.4.0 16.4.29519.181, 16.6.0 16.6.30114.105

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External links
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-1416

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

No. This vulnerability can be exploited locally. The attacker should have authentication credentials and successfully authenticate on the system.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability. However, proof of concept for this vulnerability is available.