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Vulnerabilities/CVE-2020-1040
Vulnerability dossier

CVE-2020-1040

Hyper-V RemoteFX vGPU Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

VendormicrosoftPublishedJul 14, 2020SourceNVDWeaknessCWE-20
Act now

Actively exploited in the wild. Patch or mitigate immediately — don't wait for a maintenance window.

Severity
Critical · 9.0
CVSS base score
Exploitation
In the wild
CISA KEV
Predicted risk
7% model
EPSS forecast — overtaken by confirmed exploitation
Exposure
Adjacent network
Attacker must be on the same local network
01

What's the risk?

An attacker with a basic user account, from the same local network, with no user interaction, can fully compromise the system — steal data, tamper with it and take it offline.

A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Hyper-V RemoteFX vGPU on a host server fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system, aka 'Hyper-V RemoteFX vGPU Remote Code Execution Vulnerability'. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2020-1032, CVE-2020-1036, CVE-2020-1041, CVE-2020-1042, CVE-2020-1043.

How it's exploitedMITRE ATT&CK · inferred from weakness & vector
Initial Access
T1190Exploit Public-Facing Application

Inferred from the weakness type (CWE) and how the flaw is reached — the techniques an attacker would chain to exploit this. Real-world corroboration appears here as threat intel is folded in.

02

Who's exploiting it?

Corroborated threat activity referencing this CVE — with source and confidence, not inference.

Confirmed exploited in the wild. CISA KEV · catalogued Nov 3, 2021

Named threat actors and observed ATT&CK techniques appear here as intel feeds are folded in — the ATT&CK chain above stays inferred until then.

03

Are we affected?

4
  • Affectedmicrosoft · windows_server_2008r2
  • Affectedmicrosoft · windows_server_2012all versions
  • Affected
microsoft · windows_server_2012
r2
  • Affectedmicrosoft · windows_server_2016all versions
  • 04

    What to do

    Generated by Wavense from the CVE record — an immediate mitigation and the permanent fix.

    1. !

      Mitigate now

      As an interim measure, disable or remove the RemoteFX vGPU feature from all Hyper-V guest virtual machines where it is not absolutely essential. Implement strict network segmentation to limit communication between guest VMs and the Hyper-V host management interfaces. Enhance monitoring on Hyper-V hosts for anomalous process execution or unexpected network connections originating from guest VMs.

    2. ✓

      Permanent fix

      The permanent resolution requires applying the security updates released by Microsoft that specifically address CVE-2020-1040. Ensure all Hyper-V host servers and their associated components are updated to the latest patched versions. Refer to the official Microsoft security advisory for the correct patches applicable to your specific Hyper-V server versions and configurations.

    Technical details— weakness, CVSS vector & calculator, related CVEs

    Business impact

    An authenticated attacker on a guest operating system can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on the Hyper-V host server. This allows for a complete escape from the virtual machine, potentially compromising all other guest VMs and critical host functions. Successful exploitation can lead to full system compromise, data theft, and denial of service across the entire virtualized environment.

    Weakness

    1
    CWE-20Common Weakness Enumeration · MITRE definition

    CVSS 3.1 details

    CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
    0.0
    / 10.0 base
    Critical severity
    CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
    Exploitability metrics
    Attack VectorAV
    Limited to a shared physical or logical network
    Attack ComplexityAC
    No special conditions required
    Privileges RequiredPR
    Basic user privileges
    User InteractionUI
    No user participation needed
    Impact metrics
    ScopeS
    Impact extends to other components
    ConfidentialityC
    Total loss of confidentiality
    IntegrityI
    Total loss of integrity
    AvailabilityA
    Total loss of availability

    Related vulnerabilities

    Other CVEs affecting windows server 2008

    NVD
    10.0Critical
    CVE-2020-1350KEVExploit likely

    A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Windows Domain Name System servers when they fail to properly handle requests, aka 'Windows DNS Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability'.

    microsoftCWE-20Improper Input ValidationNetworkLow effortNo authNo interactionCIA
    2020-07-14
    NVD
    9.8Critical
    CVE-2026-33824KEV

    Double free in Windows IKE Extension allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network.

    microsoftCWE-415Double FreeNetworkLow effortNo authNo interactionCIA
    2026-04-14
    NVD
    9.8Critical
    CVE-2025-59287KEV⚙ WeaponizedExploit likely

    Deserialization of untrusted data in Windows Server Update Service allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network.

    microsoftCWE-502Deserialization of Untrusted DataNetworkLow effortNo authNo interactionCIA
    2025-10-14
    NVD
    9.8Critical
    CVE-2019-0708KEV⚙ WeaponizedExploit likely

    A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Remote Desktop Services formerly known as Terminal Services when an unauthenticated attacker connects to the target system using RDP and sends specially crafted requests, aka 'Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability'.

    huaweiCWE-416Use After FreeNetworkLow effortNo authNo interactionCIA
    2019-05-16
    NVD
    9.8Critical
    CVE-2017-8543KEVExploit likely

    Microsoft Windows XP SP3, Windows XP x64 XP2, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista, Windows 7 SP1, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1, Windows Server 2012 and R2, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, 1607, and 1703, and Windows Server 2016 allow an attacker to take control of the affected system when Windows Search fails to handle objects in memory, aka "Windows Search Remote Code Execution Vulnerability".

    microsoftCWE-281Improper Preservation of PermissionsNetworkLow effortNo authNo interactionCIA
    2017-06-15
    NVD
    9.8Critical
    CVE-2015-1635KEV⚙ WeaponizedExploit likely

    HTTP.sys in Microsoft Windows 7 SP1, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted HTTP requests, aka "HTTP.sys Remote Code Execution Vulnerability."

    microsoftCWE-94Code InjectionNetworkLow effortNo authNo interactionCIA
    2015-04-14
    NVD
    9.8Critical
    CVE-2008-4250KEV⚙ WeaponizedExploit likely

    The Server service in Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4, XP SP2 and SP3, Server 2003 SP1 and SP2, Vista Gold and SP1, Server 2008, and 7 Pre-Beta allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted RPC request that triggers the overflow during path canonicalization, as exploited in the wild by Gimmiv.A in October 2008, aka "Server Service Vulnerability."

    microsoftCWE-94Code InjectionNetworkLow effortNo authNo interactionCIA
    2008-10-23
    NVD
    8.8High
    CVE-2026-96951KEV

    Improper neutralization of special elements used in a command ('command injection') in Windows Shell allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature over a network.

    microsoftCWE-77Command InjectionNetworkLow effortNo authUser neededCIA
    2026-10-13
    0.0
    / 10.0 base
    Critical severity
    Key facts
    CVE ID
    CVE-2020-1040
    Published
    Jul 14, 2020
    Last modified
    Oct 29, 2025
    CVSS
    9.0 (v3.1)
    EPSS
    7.39%
    In CISA KEV
    Yes
    Confidence
    100/100
    Weakness
    CWE-20
    Timeline
    1. Jul 14, 2020Published to NVDNVD
    2. Oct 29, 2025Record last modifiedNVD
    3. Aug 22, 2026AI analysis generatedWavense
    View on NVD