How severe is CVE-2020-0638?

CVE-2020-0638 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-0638 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2020-0638 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2022-05-23, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-0638?

CVE-2020-0638 primarily affects Microsoft Windows 10 1709. In total, 17 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-0638?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.

Does CVE-2020-0638 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2020-0638 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2020-2132. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2022-05-23).

When was CVE-2020-0638 published?

CVE-2020-0638 was published on 2020-01-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-0638

CVE-2020-0638 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10 1709 with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming it has been exploited in the wild (added 2022-05-23). The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-59.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 4.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (85th percentile)
Actively exploited: Yes — listed in CISA KEV (added 2022-05-23)
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2020-2132
EU exploitation: Flagged exploited in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (since 2022-05-23)
Weakness: CWE-59
Affected product: Microsoft Windows 10 1709
Published: 2020-01-14
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way the Update Notification Manager handles files.To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system, aka 'Update Notification Manager Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-0638?: An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way the Update Notification Manager handles files.To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system, aka 'Update Notification Manager Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.
How severe is CVE-2020-0638?: CVE-2020-0638 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-0638 being actively exploited?: Yes. CVE-2020-0638 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2022-05-23, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-0638?: CVE-2020-0638 primarily affects Microsoft Windows 10 1709. In total, 17 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-0638?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.
Does CVE-2020-0638 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2020-0638 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2020-2132. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2022-05-23).
When was CVE-2020-0638 published?: CVE-2020-0638 was published on 2020-01-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (17)

cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1709:-:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1709:-:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1803:-:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1803:-:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1809:-:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1809:-:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1809:-:*:*:*:*:*:x86:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1903:-:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1903:-:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1903:-:*:*:*:*:*:x86:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1909:-:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1909:-:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1909:-:*:*:*:*:*:x86:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_1803:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_1903:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_1909:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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