CVE-2020-16974: Microsoft Windows 10

High severity, CVSS 7.8. EPSS: 0.9% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

<p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows Backup Service improperly handles file operations.</p> <p>To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application to elevate privileges.</p> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how the Windows Backup Service handles file operations.</p>

Affected products

  • Microsoft Windows 10: affected versions not specified; version 1607 only; version 1709 only; version 1803 only; version 1809 only; version 1903 only; …
  • Microsoft Windows 7: affected versions not specified
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2008: version r2 only
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2016: affected versions not specified; version 1903 only; version 1909 only; version 2004 only
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2019: affected versions not specified

Published 2020-10-16. Last modified 2026-06-17.