CVE-2016-20085 (GCVE-0-2016-20085)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-06-19 14:16 – Updated: 2026-06-22 15:08
VLAI?
Title
Realtek High Definition Audio Driver 6.0.1.6730 Privilege Escalation
Summary
Realtek High Definition Audio Driver 6.0.1.6730 contains an unquoted service path vulnerability that allows local attackers to escalate privileges by placing a malicious executable in the service path. Attackers can insert an executable file in the unquoted path and restart the service to execute code with LocalSystem privileges.
Severity ?
8.5 (High)
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
7.8 (High)
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CWE
  • CWE-428 - Unquoted Search Path or Element
Assigner
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version
Realtek Realtek High Definition Audio Driver Affected: 6.0.1.6730
Create a notification for this product.
Credits
Joey Lane
Show details on NVD website
To clipboard 

{
  "containers": {
    "adp": [
      {
        "metrics": [
          {
            "other": {
              "content": {
                "id": "CVE-2016-20085",
                "options": [
                  {
                    "Exploitation": "poc"
                  },
                  {
                    "Automatable": "no"
                  },
                  {
                    "Technical Impact": "total"
                  }
                ],
                "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                "timestamp": "2026-06-22T15:08:13.185724Z",
                "version": "2.0.3"
              },
              "type": "ssvc"
            }
          }
        ],
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2026-06-22T15:08:22.239Z",
          "orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
          "shortName": "CISA-ADP"
        },
        "title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
      }
    ],
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "product": "Realtek High Definition Audio Driver",
          "vendor": "Realtek",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "6.0.1.6730"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "credits": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "type": "finder",
          "value": "Joey Lane"
        }
      ],
      "datePublic": "2016-10-19T00:00:00.000Z",
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "Realtek High Definition Audio Driver 6.0.1.6730 contains an unquoted service path vulnerability that allows local attackers to escalate privileges by placing a malicious executable in the service path. Attackers can insert an executable file in the unquoted path and restart the service to execute code with LocalSystem privileges."
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV4_0": {
            "Automatable": "NOT_DEFINED",
            "Recovery": "NOT_DEFINED",
            "Safety": "NOT_DEFINED",
            "attackComplexity": "LOW",
            "attackRequirements": "NONE",
            "attackVector": "LOCAL",
            "baseScore": 8.5,
            "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
            "exploitMaturity": "NOT_DEFINED",
            "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
            "providerUrgency": "NOT_DEFINED",
            "subAvailabilityImpact": "NONE",
            "subConfidentialityImpact": "NONE",
            "subIntegrityImpact": "NONE",
            "userInteraction": "NONE",
            "valueDensity": "NOT_DEFINED",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N",
            "version": "4.0",
            "vulnAvailabilityImpact": "HIGH",
            "vulnConfidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
            "vulnIntegrityImpact": "HIGH",
            "vulnerabilityResponseEffort": "NOT_DEFINED"
          },
          "format": "CVSS"
        },
        {
          "cvssV3_1": {
            "attackComplexity": "LOW",
            "attackVector": "LOCAL",
            "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
            "baseScore": 7.8,
            "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
            "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
            "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
            "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
            "scope": "UNCHANGED",
            "userInteraction": "NONE",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
            "version": "3.1"
          },
          "format": "CVSS"
        }
      ],
      "problemTypes": [
        {
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "cweId": "CWE-428",
              "description": "Unquoted Search Path or Element",
              "lang": "en",
              "type": "CWE"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-06-19T14:16:41.065Z",
        "orgId": "83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10",
        "shortName": "VulnCheck"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "name": "ExploitDB-40587",
          "tags": [
            "exploit"
          ],
          "url": "https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40587"
        },
        {
          "name": "VulnCheck Advisory: Realtek High Definition Audio Driver 6.0.1.6730 Privilege Escalation",
          "tags": [
            "third-party-advisory"
          ],
          "url": "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/realtek-high-definition-audio-driver-privilege-escalation"
        }
      ],
      "title": "Realtek High Definition Audio Driver 6.0.1.6730 Privilege Escalation",
      "x_generator": {
        "engine": "vulncheck"
      }
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10",
    "assignerShortName": "VulnCheck",
    "cveId": "CVE-2016-20085",
    "datePublished": "2026-06-19T14:16:41.065Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-06-19T13:13:17.950Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-06-22T15:08:22.239Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2",
  "vulnerability-lookup:meta": {
    "vulnrichment": {
      "containers": "{\"cna\": {\"title\": \"Realtek High Definition Audio Driver 6.0.1.6730 Privilege Escalation\", \"credits\": [{\"lang\": \"en\", \"type\": \"finder\", \"value\": \"Joey Lane\"}], \"metrics\": [{\"format\": \"CVSS\", \"cvssV4_0\": {\"Safety\": \"NOT_DEFINED\", \"version\": \"4.0\", \"Recovery\": \"NOT_DEFINED\", \"baseScore\": 8.5, \"Automatable\": \"NOT_DEFINED\", \"attackVector\": \"LOCAL\", \"baseSeverity\": \"HIGH\", \"valueDensity\": \"NOT_DEFINED\", \"vectorString\": \"CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N\", \"exploitMaturity\": \"NOT_DEFINED\", \"providerUrgency\": \"NOT_DEFINED\", \"userInteraction\": \"NONE\", \"attackComplexity\": \"LOW\", \"attackRequirements\": \"NONE\", \"privilegesRequired\": \"LOW\", \"subIntegrityImpact\": \"NONE\", \"vulnIntegrityImpact\": \"HIGH\", \"subAvailabilityImpact\": \"NONE\", \"vulnAvailabilityImpact\": \"HIGH\", \"subConfidentialityImpact\": \"NONE\", \"vulnConfidentialityImpact\": \"HIGH\", \"vulnerabilityResponseEffort\": \"NOT_DEFINED\"}}, {\"format\": \"CVSS\", \"cvssV3_1\": {\"scope\": \"UNCHANGED\", \"version\": \"3.1\", \"baseScore\": 7.8, \"attackVector\": \"LOCAL\", \"baseSeverity\": \"HIGH\", \"vectorString\": \"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H\", \"integrityImpact\": \"HIGH\", \"userInteraction\": \"NONE\", \"attackComplexity\": \"LOW\", \"availabilityImpact\": \"HIGH\", \"privilegesRequired\": \"LOW\", \"confidentialityImpact\": \"HIGH\"}}], \"affected\": [{\"vendor\": \"Realtek\", \"product\": \"Realtek High Definition Audio Driver\", \"versions\": [{\"status\": \"affected\", \"version\": \"6.0.1.6730\"}]}], \"datePublic\": \"2016-10-19T00:00:00.000Z\", \"references\": [{\"url\": \"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40587\", \"name\": \"ExploitDB-40587\", \"tags\": [\"exploit\"]}, {\"url\": \"https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/realtek-high-definition-audio-driver-privilege-escalation\", \"name\": \"VulnCheck Advisory: Realtek High Definition Audio Driver 6.0.1.6730 Privilege Escalation\", \"tags\": [\"third-party-advisory\"]}], \"x_generator\": {\"engine\": \"vulncheck\"}, \"descriptions\": [{\"lang\": \"en\", \"value\": \"Realtek High Definition Audio Driver 6.0.1.6730 contains an unquoted service path vulnerability that allows local attackers to escalate privileges by placing a malicious executable in the service path. Attackers can insert an executable file in the unquoted path and restart the service to execute code with LocalSystem privileges.\"}], \"problemTypes\": [{\"descriptions\": [{\"lang\": \"en\", \"type\": \"CWE\", \"cweId\": \"CWE-428\", \"description\": \"Unquoted Search Path or Element\"}]}], \"providerMetadata\": {\"orgId\": \"83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10\", \"shortName\": \"VulnCheck\", \"dateUpdated\": \"2026-06-19T14:16:41.065Z\"}}, \"adp\": [{\"title\": \"CISA ADP Vulnrichment\", \"metrics\": [{\"other\": {\"type\": \"ssvc\", \"content\": {\"id\": \"CVE-2016-20085\", \"role\": \"CISA Coordinator\", \"options\": [{\"Exploitation\": \"poc\"}, {\"Automatable\": \"no\"}, {\"Technical Impact\": \"total\"}], \"version\": \"2.0.3\", \"timestamp\": \"2026-06-22T15:08:13.185724Z\"}}}], \"providerMetadata\": {\"shortName\": \"CISA-ADP\", \"orgId\": \"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0\", \"dateUpdated\": \"2026-06-22T15:08:18.127Z\"}}]}",
      "cveMetadata": "{\"cveId\": \"CVE-2016-20085\", \"state\": \"PUBLISHED\", \"dateUpdated\": \"2026-06-19T14:16:41.065Z\", \"dateReserved\": \"2026-06-19T13:13:17.950Z\", \"assignerOrgId\": \"83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10\", \"datePublished\": \"2026-06-19T14:16:41.065Z\", \"assignerShortName\": \"VulnCheck\"}",
      "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
      "dataVersion": "5.2"
    }
  }
}


Log in or create an account to share your comment.




Tags
Taxonomy of the tags.




Sightings

Author Source Type Date

Nomenclature

  • Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
  • Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
  • Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
  • Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
  • Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.



Detection rules are retrieved from Rulezet.