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Vulnerability record · CVE-2020-16851 · published 11 September 2020

CVE-2020-16851: Microsoft onedrive link following vulnerability

Microsoft · Onedrive

<p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the OneDrive for Windows Desktop application improperly handles symbolic links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could overwrite a targeted file with an elevated status.</p> <p>To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability and delete a targeted file with an elevated status.</p> <p>The update addresses this vulnerability by correcting where the OneDrive updater performs file writes while running with elevation.</p>

7.1 CVSS 3.1 High EPSS 0.97% · top 39.7% CWE-59 · Link following
7.1CVSS 3.1 base score, v2 3.6
0.97%EPSS exploitation probability, 30 days
NoNot in CISA KEV
1Affected product versions listed by NVD
2References
17 Jun 2026Last modified by NVD

Description

<p>An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the OneDrive for Windows Desktop application improperly handles symbolic links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could overwrite a targeted file with an elevated status.</p> <p>To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability and delete a targeted file with an elevated status.</p> <p>The update addresses this vulnerability by correcting where the OneDrive updater performs file writes while running with elevation.</p>

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H

Affected products

1 vulnerable configurations from NVD's CPE data, grouped by vendor and product.

References

LinkTags
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-16851 PatchVendor Advisory
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-16851 PatchVendor Advisory

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Related vulnerabilities

Same products first, then exploited flaws of the same weakness class.

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Source: NIST National Vulnerability Database (record CVE-2020-16851), CISA KEV, FIRST EPSS (scores of 2026-09-27). This page is refreshed as NVD updates the record.