How severe is CVE-2020-12612?

CVE-2020-12612 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-2020-12612 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (17th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-12612?

CVE-2020-12612 primarily affects Beyondtrust Privilege Management For Windows. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-12612?

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-2020-12612 published?

CVE-2020-12612 was published on 2023-12-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-12612

CVE-2020-12612 is a high-severity vulnerability in Beyondtrust Privilege Management For Windows with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. 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 7.8)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (17th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Affected product: Beyondtrust Privilege Management For Windows
Published: 2023-12-12
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in BeyondTrust Privilege Management for Windows through 5.6. When specifying a program to elevate, it can typically be found within the Program Files (x86) folder and therefore uses the %ProgramFiles(x86)% environment variable. However, when this same policy gets pushed to a 32bit machine, this environment variable does not exist. Therefore, since the standard user can create a user level environment variable, they can repoint this variable to any folder the user has full control of. Then, the folder structure can be created in such a way that a rule matches and arbitrary code runs elevated.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-12612?: An issue was discovered in BeyondTrust Privilege Management for Windows through 5.6. When specifying a program to elevate, it can typically be found within the Program Files (x86) folder and therefore uses the %ProgramFiles(x86)% environment variable. However, when this same policy gets pushed to a 32bit machine, this environment variable does not exist. Therefore, since the standard user can create a user level environment variable, they can repoint this variable to any folder the user has full control of. Then, the folder structure can be created in such a way that a rule matches and arbitrary code runs elevated.
How severe is CVE-2020-12612?: CVE-2020-12612 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-2020-12612 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (17th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-12612?: CVE-2020-12612 primarily affects Beyondtrust Privilege Management For Windows. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-12612?: 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-2020-12612 published?: CVE-2020-12612 was published on 2023-12-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:a:beyondtrust:privilege_management_for_windows:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:beyondtrust:privilege_management_for_windows:5.6:-:*:*:*:*:*:*

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