HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2015-8620
HIGH

CVE-2015-8620

CWE-119Published: April 13, 2016· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Heap-based buffer overflow in the Avast virtualization driver (aswSnx.sys) in Avast Internet Security, Pro Antivirus, Premier, and Free Antivirus before 11.1.2253 allows local users to gain privileges via a Unicode file path in an IOCTL request.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2015-8620 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.8.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-119): Buffer overflow vulnerabilities can lead to arbitrary code execution or denial of service by corrupting adjacent memory.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

avast4 product(s)
avast free antivirusavast internet securityavast premieravast pro antivirus
Source: NVD CPE · 4 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/135859/Avast-11.1.2245-Heap-Overflow.html
ADVISORYhttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2016/Feb/94
ADVISORYhttp://www.securitytracker.com/id/1035093
ADVISORYhttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/135859/Avast-11.1.2245-Heap-Overflow.html
ADVISORYhttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2016/Feb/94
ADVISORYhttp://www.securitytracker.com/id/1035093

All References (8)

→
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/135859/Avast-11.1.2245-Heap-Overflow.htmlExploit · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2016/Feb/94Exploit · Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1035093Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
https://www.nettitude.co.uk/exploiting-a-kernel-paged-pool-buffer-overflow-in-avast-virtualization-driver/Exploit
→
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/135859/Avast-11.1.2245-Heap-Overflow.htmlExploit · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2016/Feb/94Exploit · Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1035093Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
https://www.nettitude.co.uk/exploiting-a-kernel-paged-pool-buffer-overflow-in-avast-virtualization-driver/Exploit

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2015-8620
CVSS Score7.8 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-119
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedApr 13, 2016

Related CVEs (CWE-119)

CVE-2022-4291
10.0
CVE-2010-3187
10.0
CVE-2021-21950
10.0
CVE-2021-21951
10.0
CVE-2009-3699
10.0
CVE-2015-5545
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2015-8620 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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