Internet Explorer
CVE-2020-1012 — WinINet API Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
Executive Summary
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way that the Wininit.dll handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions. There are multiple ways an attacker could exploit the vulnerability: In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a specially crafted website that is designed to exploit this vulnerability and then convince a user to view the website. An attacker would have no way to force users to view the attacker-controlled content. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to take action, typically by getting them to click a link in an email message or in an Instant Messenger message that takes users to the attacker's website, or by opening an attachment sent through email. In a file sharing attack scenario, an attacker could provide a specially crafted document file that is designed to exploit this vulnerability, and then convince a user to open the document file. The security update addresses the vulnerability by ensuring the Wininit.dll properly handles objects in memory.
Overview
8.8
CVSS HIGH
Important
MS Severity
Not Exploited
MS Exploit Status
Less Likely
MS Exploit Likelihood
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: 7.9
EPSS Score
0.03741
probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
0.88442 percentile - updated 2026-06-21
View on FIRST.org
Affected Products
25 affected products
| Product | KB Article | Severity | Impact | Restart Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 for 32-bit Systems | 4577049 (Security Update) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 for x64-based Systems | 4577049 (Security Update) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1607 for 32-bit Systems | 4577015 (Security Update) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems | 4577015 (Security Update) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1709 for 32-bit Systems | 4577041 (Security Update) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1709 for ARM64-based Systems | 4577041 (Security Update) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1709 for x64-based Systems | 4577041 (Security Update) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1803 for 32-bit Systems | 4577032 (Security Update) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1803 for ARM64-based Systems | 4577032 (Security Update) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1803 for x64-based Systems | 4577032 (Security Update) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems | 4570333 (Security Update) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1809 for ARM64-based Systems | 4570333 (Security Update) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems | 4570333 (Security Update) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1903 for 32-bit Systems | 4574727 (Security Update) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1903 for ARM64-based Systems | 4574727 (Security Update) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1903 for x64-based Systems | 4574727 (Security Update) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1909 for 32-bit Systems | 4574727 (Security Update) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1909 for ARM64-based Systems | 4574727 (Security Update) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 1909 for x64-based Systems | 4574727 (Security Update) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 2004 for 32-bit Systems | 4571756 (Security Update) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 2004 for ARM64-based Systems | 4571756 (Security Update) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 2004 for x64-based Systems | 4571756 (Security Update) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1 4577051 (Monthly Rollup) 4577010 (IE Cumulative) Important Elevation of Privilege 4571729 4571687 Base: 8.8 Temporal: 7.9 Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C Yes 4577051 Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 4577051 (Monthly Rollup) 4577010 (IE Cumulative) Important Elevation of Privilege 4571729 4571687 Base: 8.8 Temporal: 7.9 Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C Yes 4577051 Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 8.1 for 32-bit systems 4577010 (IE Cumulative) 4577066 (Monthly Rollup) Important Elevation of Privilege 4571687 4571703 Base: 8.8 Temporal: 7.9 Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C Yes 4577066 4577066 Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 8.1 for x64-based systems 4577010 (IE Cumulative) 4577066 (Monthly Rollup) Important Elevation of Privilege 4571687 4571703 Base: 8.8 Temporal: 7.9 Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C Yes 4577066 4577066 Internet Explorer 11 on Windows RT 8.1 | 4577066 (Monthly Rollup) |
Important | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 4577051 (Monthly Rollup) 4577010 (IE Cumulative) Low Elevation of Privilege 4571729 4571687 Base: 8.8 Temporal: 7.9 Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C Yes 4577051 Internet Explorer 11 on Windows Server 2012 4577010 (IE Cumulative) 4577038 (Monthly Rollup) Low Elevation of Privilege 4571687 4571736 Base: 8.8 Temporal: 7.9 Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C Yes 4577038 Internet Explorer 11 on Windows Server 2012 R2 4577010 (IE Cumulative) 4577066 (Monthly Rollup) Low Elevation of Privilege 4571687 4571703 Base: 8.8 Temporal: 7.9 Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C Yes 4577066 4577066 Internet Explorer 11 on Windows Server 2016 | 4577015 (Security Update) |
Low | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
| Internet Explorer 11 on Windows Server 2019 | 4570333 (Security Update) |
Low | Elevation of Privilege | Yes |
Patches
8 patches
| Article | Type | Restart |
|---|---|---|
4577049 |
Security Update | Yes |
4577015 |
Security Update | Yes |
4577041 |
Security Update | Yes |
4577032 |
Security Update | Yes |
4570333 |
Security Update | Yes |
4574727 |
Security Update | Yes |
4571756 |
Security Update | Yes |
4577066 |
Monthly Rollup | 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
References
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