How severe is CVE-2020-27518?

CVE-2020-27518 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-2020-27518 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (37th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-27518?

CVE-2020-27518 primarily affects Windscribe. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-27518?

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-2020-27518 published?

CVE-2020-27518 was published on 2021-05-04 and last updated on 2026-07-09.

CVE-2020-27518

CVE-2020-27518 is a high-severity vulnerability in Windscribe 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. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-269.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (37th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-269
Affected product: Windscribe
Published: 2021-05-04
Last modified: 2026-07-09

Description

All versions of Windscribe VPN for Mac and Windows <= v2.02.10 contain a local privilege escalation vulnerability in the WindscribeService component. A low privilege user could leverage several openvpn options to execute code as root/SYSTEM.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-27518?: All versions of Windscribe VPN for Mac and Windows <= v2.02.10 contain a local privilege escalation vulnerability in the WindscribeService component. A low privilege user could leverage several openvpn options to execute code as root/SYSTEM.
How severe is CVE-2020-27518?: CVE-2020-27518 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-2020-27518 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (37th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-27518?: CVE-2020-27518 primarily affects Windscribe. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-27518?: 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-2020-27518 published?: CVE-2020-27518 was published on 2021-05-04 and last updated on 2026-07-09.

References

https://jeffs.sh/CVEs/CVE-2020-27518.txt

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:a:windscribe:windscribe:*:*:*:*:*:macos:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:windscribe:windscribe:*:*:*:*:*:windows:*:*

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