CVE-2020-0899 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.5/10 on the CVSS scale. An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Microsoft Visual Studio updater service improperly handles file permissions, aka 'Microsoft Visual Studio Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'. EPSS estimates a 0.76% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

## Description

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Microsoft Visual Studio updater service improperly handles file permissions, aka 'Microsoft Visual Studio Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.

## Metrics

- **CVSS**: 3.1 5.5/10
- **CVSS Vector**: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
- **EPSS Probability**: 0.76% (50.6th percentile) - Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. [Learn more](https://www.first.org/epss/)

## Affected Software

| Vendor    | Product                  | Versions |
|-----------|--------------------------|----------|
| Microsoft | Visual Studio 2017       | 15.9     |
| Microsoft | Visual Studio 2019       | 16.0     |
| Microsoft | Visual Studio 2019       | 16.4     |
| Microsoft | Visual Studio 2019       | 16.5.0   |

## References

- [Vendor Advisory](https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-0899) Patch

## Timeline

- **Published**: Apr 15, 2020
- **Last Modified**: Jun 17, 2026
- **Status**: Modified

## Frequently Asked Questions

**What is CVE-2020-0899?**
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Microsoft Visual Studio updater service improperly handles file permissions, aka 'Microsoft Visual Studio Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.

**How severe is CVE-2020-0899?**
CVE-2020-0899 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.76% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

**How do I fix CVE-2020-0899?**
Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also [run a Strix scan](https://app.strix.ai/) to test if your systems are affected.