CVE-2020-16886
PowerShellGet Module WDAC Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability
Published Oct 16, 2020
CVSS 3.1 · 5.3 Medium
EPSS < 1%
KEV · Not listed
Description
<p>A security feature bypass vulnerability exists in the PowerShellGet V2 module. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could bypass WDAC (Windows Defender Application Control) policy and execute arbitrary code on a policy locked-down machine.</p>
<p>An attacker must have administrator privileges to create a configuration that includes installing PowerShellGet V2 module onto a machine from the PowerShell Gallery. The WDAC policy must be configured to allow the module to run. After this is done, PowerShell script can be injected and run fully trusted, allowing the attacker arbitrary code execution on the machine.</p>
<p>The update addresses the vulnerability by changing how URLs are processed.</p>
<p>An attacker must have administrator privileges to create a configuration that includes installing PowerShellGet V2 module onto a machine from the PowerShell Gallery. The WDAC policy must be configured to allow the module to run. After this is done, PowerShell script can be injected and run fully trusted, allowing the attacker arbitrary code execution on the machine.</p>
<p>The update addresses the vulnerability by changing how URLs are processed.</p>
Affected Products
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CVE record
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NVD configurations
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Red Hat packages
No data
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OpenCVE enrichment
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Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).
| Vendor | Product | Default status | Versions | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | PowerShellGet 2.2.5 | affected |
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No data.
No data available yet.
Remediation
Tracking
Advisories
| Source | ID | Title |
|---|---|---|
 EUVD |
EUVD-2020-8844 | <p>A security feature bypass vulnerability exists in the PowerShellGet V2 module. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could bypass WDAC (Windows Defender Application Control) policy and execute arbitrary code on a policy locked-down machine.</p> <p>An attacker must have administrator privileges to create a configuration that includes installing PowerShellGet V2 module onto a machine from the PowerShell Gallery. The WDAC policy must be configured to allow the module to run. After this is done, PowerShell script can be injected and run fully trusted, allowing the attacker arbitrary code execution on the machine.</p> <p>The update addresses the vulnerability by changing how URLs are processed.</p> |
Metrics
No CVSS v4.0
Attack Vector Local
Attack Complexity Low
Privileges Required Low
Scope Unchanged
Confidentiality Impact Low
Integrity Impact Low
Availability Impact Low
User Interaction None
No CVSS v3.0
Access Vector Local
Access Complexity Low
Authentication None
Confidentiality Impact Complete
Integrity Impact Complete
Availability Impact Complete
This CVE is not in the KEV list.
Exploit prediction score: < 1% (0.816% probability within 30 days)
Key SSVC decision points have not yet been added.
References
History
Feb 23, 2026 6:15 PM
Description updated
View changes
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Description | <p>A security feature bypass vulnerability exists in the PowerShellGet V2 module. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could bypass WDAC (Windows Defender Application Control) policy and execute arbitrary code on a policy locked-down machine.</p> <p>An attacker must have administrator privileges to create a configuration that includes installing PowerShellGet V2 module onto a machine from the PowerShell Gallery. The WDAC policy must be configured to allow the module to run. After this is done, PowerShell script can be injected and run fully trusted, allowing the attacker arbitrary code execution on the machine.</p> <p>The update addresses the vulnerability by changing how URLs are processed.</p> | <p>A security feature bypass vulnerability exists in the PowerShellGet V2 module. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could bypass WDAC (Windows Defender Application Control) policy and execute arbitrary code on a policy locked-down machine.</p> <p>An attacker must have administrator privileges to create a configuration that includes installing PowerShellGet V2 module onto a machine from the PowerShell Gallery. The WDAC policy must be configured to allow the module to run. After this is done, PowerShell script can be injected and run fully trusted, allowing the attacker arbitrary code execution on the machine.</p> <p>The update addresses the vulnerability by changing how URLs are processed.</p> |
Jul 16, 2025 1:45 PM
Scoring metrics updated
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| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
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| Metrics |
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Subscriptions
Weaknesses
