Visual Studio
CVE-2020-0789 — Visual Studio Extension Installer Service Denial of Service Vulnerability
Executive Summary
A denial of service vulnerability exists when the Visual Studio Extension Installer Service improperly handles hard links. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a target system to stop responding. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would have to log on to an affected system and run a specially crafted application. The vulnerability would allow an attacker to overwrite system files. The update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how the Visual Studio Extension Installer Service handles hard links.
Overview
7.1
CVSS HIGH
Important
MS Severity
Not Exploited
MS Exploit Status
Less Likely
MS Exploit Likelihood
CVSS Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
ATTACK VECTOR
Local
ATTACK COMPLEXITY
Low
PRIVILEGES REQUIRED
Low
USER INTERACTION
None
SCOPE
Unchanged
EPSS Score
0.00863
probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
0.55454 percentile - updated 2026-08-14
View on FIRST.org
Affected Products
2 affected products
| Product | KB Article | Severity | Impact | Restart Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Visual Studio 2019 version 16.0 | Release Notes (Security Update) |
Important | Denial of Service | Maybe |
| Microsoft Visual Studio 2019 version 16.4 (includes 16.0 - 16.3) | Release Notes (Security Update) |
Important | Denial of Service | Maybe |
Patches
1 patch
| Article | Type | Restart |
|---|---|---|
Release Notes |
Security Update | Maybe |
Exploits & PoC
No public exploit or PoC has been linked for this CVE yet. When available, references are sourced from public repositories and may be unverified or non-functional — review carefully before use.
Detection Rules
No public Sigma or Nuclei detection rule has been mapped to this CVE yet. Coverage is concentrated on exploited / high-profile vulnerabilities; check SigmaHQ for updates.
Acknowledgments
Zhiniang Peng ( @edwardzpeng
References
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