CVE-2020-13162

Pulse Secure Windows Client Privilege Escalation

Severity Score

7.0

*CVSS v3.1

Exploit Likelihood

*EPSS

Affected Versions

*CPE

Public Exploits

*Multiple Sources

Exploited in Wild

*KEV

Decision

*SSVC

Descriptions

A time-of-check time-of-use vulnerability in PulseSecureService.exe in Pulse Secure Client versions prior to 9.1.6 down to 5.3 R70 for Windows (which runs as NT AUTHORITY/SYSTEM) allows unprivileged users to run a Microsoft Installer executable with elevated privileges.

Una vulnerabilidad de tipo time-of-check time-of-use en el archivo PulseSecureService.exe en Pulse Secure Client versiones anteriores a 9.1.6 hasta 5.3 R70 para Windows (que se ejecuta como NT AUTHORITY/SYSTEM), permite a los usuarios sin privilegios correr un ejecutable de Microsoft Installer con privilegios elevados

The Windows client for Pulse Secure versions prior to 9.1.6 have a TOCTOU bug that allows an attacker to escalate the privilege to NT_AUTHORITY\SYSTEM.

*Credits: N/A

Attack Vector

Local

Attack Complexity

High

Privileges Required

Low

User Interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Attack Vector

Local

Attack Complexity

Medium

Authentication

None

Confidentiality

Complete

Integrity

Complete

Availability

Complete

* Common Vulnerability Scoring System

SSVC

Decision:-

Exploitation

Automatable

Tech. Impact

* Organization's Worst-case Scenario

Timeline

2020-05-19 CVE Reserved
2020-06-16 CVE Published
2020-09-02 First Exploit
2024-08-04 CVE Updated
2024-08-11 EPSS Updated
---------- Exploited in Wild
---------- KEV Due Date

CWE

CWE-367: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition

CAPEC

References (11)

URL	Tag	Source
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/158117/Pulse-Secure-Client-For-Windows-Local-Privilege-Escalation.html	Third Party Advisory
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/159065/Pulse-Secure-Windows-Client-Privilege-Escalation.html	Third Party Advisory
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/Jun/25	Mailing List
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/Sep/15	Mailing List
https://twitter.com/gsepcali/status/1262551597990711296	Third Party Advisory
https://twitter.com/gsepcali/status/1272927080909623297	Third Party Advisory
https://twitter.com/sepcali/status/1262551597990711296	Third Party Advisory

URL	Date	SRC
https://github.com/redtimmy/tu-TOCTOU-kaiu-TOCMEU-CVE-2020-13162-	2020-09-02
https://www.redtimmy.com/privilege-escalation/pulse-secure-client-for-windows-9-1-6-toctou-privilege-escalation-cve-2020-13162	2024-08-04

URL	Date	SRC

URL	Date	SRC
https://kb.pulsesecure.net/?atype=sa	2023-03-01
https://kb.pulsesecure.net/articles/Pulse_Security_Advisories/SA44503	2023-03-01

Affected Vendors, Products, and Versions

Vendor		Product				Version		Other		Status
Vendor	Product	Version	Other	Status	<-- -->	Vendor	Product	Version	Other	Status
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				5.3 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "5.3"		r1.0, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				5.3 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "5.3"		r1.1, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				5.3 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "5.3"		r2.0, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				5.3 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "5.3"		r3.0, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				5.3 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "5.3"		r4.1, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				5.3 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "5.3"		r4.2, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				5.3 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "5.3"		r5.0, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				5.3 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "5.3"		r5.2, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				5.3 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "5.3"		r6.0, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				5.3 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "5.3"		r7.0, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				9.0 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "9.0"		r1.0, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				9.0 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "9.0"		r2, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				9.0 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "9.0"		r2.1, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				9.0 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "9.0"		r3, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				9.0 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "9.0"		r3.2, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				9.0 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "9.0"		r4, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				9.0 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "9.0"		r4.0, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				9.0 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "9.0"		r5.0, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				9.0 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "9.0"		r6.0, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				9.1 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "9.1"		r1.0, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				9.1 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "9.1"		r2.0, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				9.1 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "9.1"		r3.0, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				9.1 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "9.1"		r3.1, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				9.1 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "9.1"		r4.0, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				9.1 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "9.1"		r4.1, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				9.1 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "9.1"		r4.2, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				9.1 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "9.1"		r5.0, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				9.1 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "9.1"		r6.0, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Desktop Client Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client"				9.1 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Desktop Client" and version "9.1"		r7.0, windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Installer Service Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Installer Service"				8.3 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Installer Service" and version "8.3"		windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Installer Service Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Installer Service"				9.1 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Installer Service" and version "9.1"		windows		Affected
Pulsesecure Search vendor "Pulsesecure"		Pulse Secure Installer Service Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Installer Service"				9.1 Search vendor "Pulsesecure" for product "Pulse Secure Installer Service" and version "9.1"		r5.0, windows		Affected