CVE-2020-16886 json
PowerShellGet Module WDAC Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability
published 2020-10-16 6 y ago modified 2026-06-17 4 mo ago also EUVD-2020-8844
- cvss
- 6.7
- version 3.1, CNA
- cisa kev
- Not listed
- not in CISA's catalog
- epss
- 0.8%
- EPSS 0.8% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 57%
- public exploits
- 0
- none known
Summary
<p>A security feature bypass vulnerability exists in the PowerShellGet V2 module. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could bypass WDAC (Windows Defender Application Control) policy and execute arbitrary code on a policy locked-down machine.</p> <p>An attacker must have administrator privileges to create a configuration that includes installing PowerShellGet V2 module onto a machine from the PowerShell Gallery. The WDAC policy must be configured to allow the module to run. After this is done, PowerShell script can be injected and run fully trusted, allowing the attacker arbitrary code execution on the machine.</p> <p>The update addresses the vulnerability by changing how URLs are processed.</p>
Patch / fix
Exploit prediction
0.82% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 57% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).
CVSS scores
| assigned by | version | score | vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | 3.1 | 5.3 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L/E:P/RL:O/RC:C |
| CNA | 3.1 | 5.3 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L |
| CNA | 3.1 | 6.7 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| NVD | 2.0 | 7.2 | AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C |
Affected products
- Microsoft PowerShellGet 2.2.5
References
-
portal.msrc.microsoft.com
/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-16886
patch, vendor-advisory
Sources
- CVE List CVE-2020-16886
- NVD CVE-2020-16886
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