CVE-2020-1048: Windows Print Spooler Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

NVD analysis

Status

Modified

Published

2020-05-21T23:15:11.930

Last modified

2026-08-19T17:17:09.403

Weaknesses

CWE-669

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows Print Spooler service improperly allows arbitrary writing to the file system. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code with elevated system privileges. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.
To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would have to log on to an affected system and run a specially crafted script or application.
The update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how the Windows Print Spooler Component writes to the file system.

References

• https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2020-1048
• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/158222/Windows-Print-Spooler-Privilege-Escalation.html (Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/159217/Microsoft-Spooler-Local-Privilege-Elevation.html (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
• https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-1048 (Patch, Vendor Advisory)

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.

Read on 2026-11-03T01:42:06.134Z under licence nvd-api-terms-of-use@ff2a5288 from https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?cveId=CVE-2020-1048

CVE record

Title (CNA)

Windows Print Spooler Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

Assigner

microsoft

State

PUBLISHED

Published

2020-05-21T22:52:49.000Z

Updated

2026-08-19T16:33:25.555Z

Problem types

Elevation of Privilege

References

• Windows Print Spooler Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

Read on 2026-11-03T01:03:08.610Z under licence cve-terms-of-use@81bfa2f3 from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2020/1xxx/CVE-2020-1048.json

Detection rules (SigmaHQ)

SigmaHQ rules whose own tags name this CVE. Each rule page shows the rule as its author published it.

• CVE-2020-1048 Exploitation Attempt - Suspicious New Printer Ports - Registry (status test, level high)
• Suspicious PrinterPorts Creation (CVE-2020-1048) (status test, level high)

Defensive techniques (MITRE D3FEND)

D3FEND maps these defensive techniques to the weakness (CWE) that NVD lists for this CVE, through the digital artifacts the weakness affects. D3FEND does not say they stop this vulnerability.

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