How severe is CVE-2020-1080?

CVE-2020-1080 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, 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-2020-1080 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (55th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-1080?

CVE-2020-1080 primarily affects Microsoft Windows 10. In total, 9 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-1080?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2020-1080 published?

CVE-2020-1080 was published on 2020-10-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-1080

CVE-2020-1080 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10 with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (55th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Affected product: Microsoft Windows 10
Published: 2020-10-16
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited these vulnerabilities could gain elevated privileges on a target operating system. This vulnerability by itself does not allow arbitrary code to be run. However, this vulnerability could be used in conjunction with one or more vulnerabilities (e.g. a remote code execution vulnerability and another elevation of privilege) that could take advantage of the elevated privileges when running. The update addresses the vulnerabilities by correcting how Windows Hyper-V handles objects in memory.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-1080?: An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited these vulnerabilities could gain elevated privileges on a target operating system. This vulnerability by itself does not allow arbitrary code to be run. However, this vulnerability could be used in conjunction with one or more vulnerabilities (e.g. a remote code execution vulnerability and another elevation of privilege) that could take advantage of the elevated privileges when running. The update addresses the vulnerabilities by correcting how Windows Hyper-V handles objects in memory.
How severe is CVE-2020-1080?: CVE-2020-1080 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, 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-2020-1080 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (55th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-1080?: CVE-2020-1080 primarily affects Microsoft Windows 10. In total, 9 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-1080?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2020-1080 published?: CVE-2020-1080 was published on 2020-10-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-1080

Affected products (9)

cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10:1803:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10:1809:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10:1903:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10:1909:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10:2004:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:1903:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:1909:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:2004:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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