Vulnerability report

Trusted Third Party Report Confirmed Confidence In CISA KEV

CVE-2020-0787

Windows

Microsoft / Windows · 10 Version 1803 for 32-bit Systems

Watch CVE-2020-0787 Browse KEV feed
Severity
CVSS 7.8 · High
Confidence
Confirmed
Exploit status
Trusted Third Party Report
EPSS
42.5%
First observed
—
Last observed
—

Decision summary

What security teams need to know first

Direct answers before the deeper technical record.

What it is

CVE-2020-0787 is an unauthenticated vulnerability affecting Microsoft Windows and 11 other products.

Have exploitation attempts been observed?

Yes. Exploitation attempts have been reported for this vulnerability. Previdian lists it as a known exploited vulnerability. Listed in CISA KEV. Also reported by third-party sources. Confidence is confirmed.

Who is affected?

Affected products include Microsoft / Windows and 11 other products, including 10 Version 1803 for 32-bit Systems, 10 Version 1803 for x64-based Systems, and 10 Version 1803 for ARM64-based Systems.

What should we do?

Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.

Overview

Windows

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) improperly handles symbolic links, aka 'Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.

Microsoft Affected
Windows
10 Version 1803 for 32-bit Systems 10 Version 1803 for x64-based Systems 10 Version 1803 for ARM64-based Systems 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems 10 Version 1809 for ARM64-based Systems 10 Version 1709 for 32-bit Systems 10 Version 1709 for x64-based Systems 10 Version 1709 for ARM64-based Systems 10 for 32-bit Systems 10 for x64-based Systems 10 Version 1607 for 32-bit Systems 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 8.1 for 32-bit systems 8.1 for x64-based systems RT 8.1
Microsoft Affected
Windows Server
version 1803 (Core Installation) 2019 2019 (Core installation) 2016 2016 (Core installation) 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (Core installation) 2008 for Itanium-Based Systems Service Pack 2 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (Core installation) 2008 R2 for Itanium-Based Systems Service Pack 1 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Core installation) 2012 2012 (Core installation) 2012 R2 2012 R2 (Core installation)
Microsoft Affected
Windows 10 Version 1909 for 32-bit Systems
unspecified
Microsoft Affected
Windows 10 Version 1909 for x64-based Systems
unspecified
Microsoft Affected
Windows 10 Version 1909 for ARM64-based Systems
unspecified
Microsoft Affected
Windows Server, version 1909 (Server Core installation)
unspecified
Microsoft Affected
Windows 10 Version 1903 for 32-bit Systems
unspecified
Microsoft Affected
Windows 10 Version 1903 for x64-based Systems
unspecified
Microsoft Affected
Windows 10 Version 1903 for ARM64-based Systems
unspecified
Microsoft Affected
Windows Server, version 1903 (Server Core installation)
unspecified
Published
12 Mar 2020
Exploitation Attempts Reported
28 Jan 2022
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required

Tags

ransomware metasploit windows cisa malware microsoft metasploit_scanner

CVE References

Exploitation evidence

Evidence of exploitation attempts

Third-party attestation and first-party sensor observation are shown separately so teams can judge the evidence chain.

Exploitation Attempts Observed in the Wild

CISA

Recorded 28 Jan 2022

A trusted third party reported exploitation attempts.

Targeted by Malware-Related Exploitation Attempts

CISA

Recorded 28 Jan 2022

Exploitation attempts against this vulnerability are associated with malware-related payloads.

Proof of concept available

GitHub

Recorded 16 Jun 2020

Public scanner or PoC coverage increases practical exploitability.

Known exploited vulnerability sources

Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the Previdian Pro API.

Learn about Pro API access
Source Added
CISA First 2022-01-28 00:00 UTC
CVE 2026-08-12 04:21 UTC

Detection

Operational artifacts and observed signals

Make the evidence actionable in scanner, SOC, and edge-control workflows.

Virtual patch status

No Previdian virtual patch is currently available. Future rules ship for ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF.

Learn about virtual patches →

Scanner Artifacts

Scanner and exploit-framework references linked to this CVE.

Scanner Reference Detected
Metasploit https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/local/cve_2020_0787_bits_arbitrary_file_move.rb 28 Apr 2025

Risk and context

Severity, weaknesses, and research context

CVSS v3.1

7.8 High

Potential damage if exploited. Separate from whether attackers are using it.

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

EPSS

42.5%

Estimated chance of exploitation in the next 30 days. Previdian's warning comes from evidence, not this score.

Weaknesses

Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') CWE-59

All CVSS Scores

CVSS v3.1 7.8 High

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

CVSS v2.0 7.2 High

AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Potential Proof of Concepts

These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.

cve_2020_0787_bits_arbitrary_file_move

metasploit · Created Unknown

Metasploit module for CVE-2020-0787

Timeline

From disclosure to observed exploitation attempts

  1. 04:21 UTC

    KEV confirmed by CVE

    Exploitation attempts reported by an external source

  2. 15:02 UTC

    Metasploit module available

    Exploit module available

  3. 15:02 UTC

    Public PoC available

    Public proof-of-concept code published

  4. 00:00 UTC

    Added to CISA KEV

    Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

  5. 00:00 UTC

    Targeted by malware-related exploitation attempts

    Malware-related exploitation attempts or payloads reported

  6. 15:48 UTC

    CVE published

    Vulnerability disclosed publicly

  7. 00:00 UTC

    CVE ID reserved

    Identifier reserved by the CNA

Pro API

Automate this intelligence

Confidence, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.

Start 14-day Pro trial Read API docs
  • Evidence confidence and provenance
  • First-party sensor telemetry
  • PoC and scanner references
  • Affected versions and enrichment
  • Automation-ready JSON delivery

GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2020-0787

Sample API response 
{
  "cve_id": "CVE-2020-0787",
  "confidence": "Confirmed",
  "cvss_score": 7.8,
  "cvss_estimated": false,
  "epss_score": 0.42524,
  "exploit_status": {
    "exploited_in_the_wild": true,
    "active_exploitation_observed": false
  },
  "sensor_telemetry": { "attempts": 0, "sensors": 0 }
}