How severe is CVE-2020-15480?

CVE-2020-15480 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-2020-15480 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (46th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-15480?

CVE-2020-15480 primarily affects Passmark Burnintest. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-15480?

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-2020-15480 published?

CVE-2020-15480 was published on 2020-08-07 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-15480

CVE-2020-15480 is a high-severity vulnerability in Passmark Burnintest 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% (46th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Affected product: Passmark Burnintest
Published: 2020-08-07
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in PassMark BurnInTest through 9.1, OSForensics through 7.1, and PerformanceTest through 10. The kernel driver exposes IOCTL functionality that allows low-privilege users to read and write to arbitrary Model Specific Registers (MSRs). This could lead to arbitrary Ring-0 code execution and escalation of privileges. This affects DirectIo32.sys and DirectIo64.sys.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-15480?: An issue was discovered in PassMark BurnInTest through 9.1, OSForensics through 7.1, and PerformanceTest through 10. The kernel driver exposes IOCTL functionality that allows low-privilege users to read and write to arbitrary Model Specific Registers (MSRs). This could lead to arbitrary Ring-0 code execution and escalation of privileges. This affects DirectIo32.sys and DirectIo64.sys.
How severe is CVE-2020-15480?: CVE-2020-15480 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-2020-15480 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (46th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-15480?: CVE-2020-15480 primarily affects Passmark Burnintest. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-15480?: 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-2020-15480 published?: CVE-2020-15480 was published on 2020-08-07 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:a:passmark:burnintest:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:passmark:osforensics:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:passmark:performancetest:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Passmark Burnintest

CVE-2020-15479 — High (CVSS 8.8): An issue was discovered in PassMark BurnInTest through 9.1, OSForensics through 7.1, and PerformanceTest through 10.…
CVE-2020-15481 — High (CVSS 7.8): An issue was discovered in PassMark BurnInTest v9.1 Build 1008, OSForensics v7.1 Build 1012, and PerformanceTest v10.0…

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