How severe is CVE-2020-36986?

CVE-2020-36986 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-2020-36986 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (6th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-36986?

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.

Does CVE-2020-36986 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2020-36986 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2020-30894.

When was CVE-2020-36986 published?

CVE-2020-36986 was published on 2026-01-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-36986

CVE-2020-36986 is a high-severity vulnerability 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-428.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v4: 8.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (6th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2020-30894
Weakness: CWE-428
Published: 2026-01-28
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Prey 1.9.6 contains an unquoted service path vulnerability that allows local users to potentially execute code with elevated privileges. Attackers can exploit the unquoted path in the CronService to insert malicious code that would execute during application startup or system reboot.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-36986?: Prey 1.9.6 contains an unquoted service path vulnerability that allows local users to potentially execute code with elevated privileges. Attackers can exploit the unquoted path in the CronService to insert malicious code that would execute during application startup or system reboot.
How severe is CVE-2020-36986?: CVE-2020-36986 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-2020-36986 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (6th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2020-36986?: 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.
Does CVE-2020-36986 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2020-36986 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2020-30894.
When was CVE-2020-36986 published?: CVE-2020-36986 was published on 2026-01-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Other CWE-428 vulnerabilities

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CVE-2019-17658 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An unquoted service path vulnerability in the FortiClient FortiTray component of FortiClientWindows v6.2.2 and prior…
CVE-2019-8459 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Check Point Endpoint Security Client for Windows, with the VPN blade, before version E80.83, starts a process without…

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