CVE-2020-1286 — Windows Shell Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Executive Summary

A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Shell does not properly validate file paths. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user. If the current user is logged on as an administrator, an attacker could take control of the affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with elevated privileges. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer privileges on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative privileges. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker must entice a user to open a specially crafted file. In an email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending the specially crafted file to the user and then convincing the user to open the file. In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a website (or leverage a compromised website that accepts or hosts user-provided content) that contains a specially crafted file designed to exploit the vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force a user to visit the website. Instead, an attacker would have to convince a user to click a link and open the specially crafted file. This security update addresses the vulnerability by ensuring the Windows Shell properly validates file paths.

Overview

8.8

CVSS HIGH

Critical

MS Severity

Not Exploited

MS Exploit Status

Less Likely

MS Exploit Likelihood

Category Remote Code Execution

Released Jun 9 2020

Last Updated Jun 9 2020

Publicly Disclosed No

CISA KEV Not Listed

Known Exploits None Known

EPSS Score 0.1178 — 0.95543 percentile

NVD CVSS 8.8 HIGH — differs from MSRC

CVSS Vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C

ATTACK VECTOR

Network

ATTACK COMPLEXITY

Low

PRIVILEGES REQUIRED

None

USER INTERACTION

Required

SCOPE

Unchanged

CONFIDENTIALITY

High

INTEGRITY

High

AVAILABILITY

High

EXPLOIT CODE MATURITY

Proof-of-Concept

REMEDIATION LEVEL

Official Fix

REPORT CONFIDENCE

Confirmed

Temporal Score: 7.0

EPSS Score

0.1178

probability of exploitation in the next 30 days

0.95543 percentile - updated 2026-06-21

View on FIRST.org

Affected Products

24 affected products

Product	KB Article	Severity	Impact	Restart Required
Windows 10 Version 1709 for 32-bit Systems	`4561602 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1709 for ARM64-based Systems	`4561602 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1709 for x64-based Systems	`4561602 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1803 for 32-bit Systems	`4561621 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1803 for ARM64-based Systems	`4561621 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1803 for x64-based Systems	`4561621 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems	`4561608 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1809 for ARM64-based Systems	`4561608 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems	`4561608 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1903 for 32-bit Systems	`4560960 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1903 for ARM64-based Systems	`4560960 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1903 for x64-based Systems	`4560960 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1909 for 32-bit Systems	`4560960 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1909 for ARM64-based Systems	`4560960 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1909 for x64-based Systems	`4560960 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 2004 for 32-bit Systems	`4557957 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 2004 for ARM64-based Systems	`4557957 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 2004 for x64-based Systems	`4557957 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server 2019	`4561608 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation)	`4561608 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server, version 1803 (Server Core Installation)	`4561621 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server, version 1903 (Server Core installation)	`4560960 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server, version 1909 (Server Core installation)	`4560960 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server, version 2004 (Server Core installation)	`4557957 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes

Patches

5 patches

Article	Type	Restart
`4561602`	Security Update	Yes
`4561621`	Security Update	Yes
`4561608`	Security Update	Yes
`4560960`	Security Update	Yes
`4557957`	Security Update	Yes

Known Exploits

No known exploits have been linked for this CVE yet. When available, exploit references will be sourced from public repositories and may be unverified, incomplete, or non-functional. Always review code carefully before use in any environment.

Acknowledgments

Hidetake Jo - Microsoft

References

MSRC Advisory MITRE NVD