HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2020-13162
HIGH

CVE-2020-13162

CWE-367Published: June 16, 2020· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.0
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

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.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2020-13162 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 7.0.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

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

Affected Vendors & Products

pulsesecure2 product(s)
pulse secure desktop clientpulse secure installer service
Source: NVD CPE · 5 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/158117/Pulse-Secure-Client-For-Windows-Local-Privilege-Escalation.html
ADVISORYhttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/159065/Pulse-Secure-Windows-Client-Privilege-Escalation.html
ADVISORYhttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/Jun/25
ADVISORYhttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/Sep/15
ADVISORYhttps://kb.pulsesecure.net/?atype=sa
ADVISORYhttps://kb.pulsesecure.net/articles/Pulse_Security_Advisories/SA44503
ADVISORYhttps://twitter.com/gsepcali/status/1262551597990711296
ADVISORYhttps://twitter.com/gsepcali/status/1272927080909623297
ADVISORYhttps://twitter.com/sepcali/status/1262551597990711296
ADVISORYhttps://www.redtimmy.com/privilege-escalation/pulse-secure-client-for-windows-9-1-6-toctou-privilege-escalation-cve-2020-13162/
ADVISORYhttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/158117/Pulse-Secure-Client-For-Windows-Local-Privilege-Escalation.html
ADVISORYhttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/159065/Pulse-Secure-Windows-Client-Privilege-Escalation.html
ADVISORYhttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/Jun/25
ADVISORYhttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/Sep/15
ADVISORYhttps://kb.pulsesecure.net/?atype=sa
ADVISORYhttps://kb.pulsesecure.net/articles/Pulse_Security_Advisories/SA44503
ADVISORYhttps://twitter.com/gsepcali/status/1262551597990711296
ADVISORYhttps://twitter.com/gsepcali/status/1272927080909623297
ADVISORYhttps://twitter.com/sepcali/status/1262551597990711296
ADVISORYhttps://www.redtimmy.com/privilege-escalation/pulse-secure-client-for-windows-9-1-6-toctou-privilege-escalation-cve-2020-13162/

All References (20)

→
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/158117/Pulse-Secure-Client-For-Windows-Local-Privilege-Escalation.htmlThird Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/159065/Pulse-Secure-Windows-Client-Privilege-Escalation.htmlThird Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/Jun/25Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/Sep/15Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://kb.pulsesecure.net/?atype=saVendor Advisory
→
https://kb.pulsesecure.net/articles/Pulse_Security_Advisories/SA44503Vendor Advisory
→
https://twitter.com/gsepcali/status/1262551597990711296Third Party Advisory
→
https://twitter.com/gsepcali/status/1272927080909623297Third Party Advisory
→
https://twitter.com/sepcali/status/1262551597990711296Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.redtimmy.com/privilege-escalation/pulse-secure-client-for-windows-9-1-6-toctou-privilege-escalation-cve-2020-13162/Exploit · Third Party Advisory
→
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/158117/Pulse-Secure-Client-For-Windows-Local-Privilege-Escalation.htmlThird Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/159065/Pulse-Secure-Windows-Client-Privilege-Escalation.htmlThird Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/Jun/25Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/Sep/15Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://kb.pulsesecure.net/?atype=saVendor Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2020-13162
CVSS Score7.0 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-367
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedJun 16, 2020

Related CVEs (CWE-367)

CVE-2025-64180
10.0
CVE-2023-33154
9.8
CVE-2026-53838
9.8
CVE-2024-27114
9.8
CVE-2024-56337
9.8
CVE-2024-50379
9.8

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2020-13162 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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