CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2020-1568 — A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge PDF Reader improperly handles objects in memory

High CVSS 7.6

A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge PDF Reader improperly handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the current user. If the current user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker could take control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. To exploit the vulnerability, in a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a website that contains malicious PDF content. In addition, compromised websites and websites that accept or host user-provided content could contain specially crafted PDF content that could exploit the vulnerability. However, in all cases an attacker would have no way to force a user to view the attacker-controlled content. Instead, an attacker would have to convince a user to take action. For example, an attacker could trick a user into clicking a link that takes the user to the attacker's site. The securi…

Severity
High
CVSS
7.6 (2.0)
Published
2020-08-17
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
windows/system

Affected products

  • microsoft / edge

Matched remediation archetype

Command, code, expression, and template injection

This catalog composition supplies bounded fallback guidance. Explicitly reviewed curated workflows load with the complete record below.

Check exposure

  • Trace untrusted values to process execution, interpreters, evaluators, template engines, dynamic imports, and administrative scripting features.
  • Determine whether the affected path is reachable across each trust boundary and which service account or host privilege it inherits.
  • Review configuration for optional execution features, unsafe compatibility modes, and shell invocation.

Remediate safely

  • Replace string-built commands or evaluated code with fixed operations and structured argument APIs that do not invoke a shell.
  • Use strict allowlists for operation identifiers and reject unexpected input before it reaches any interpreter.
  • Update the affected component and add inert regression tests covering metacharacters, encoding variants, and alternate request paths.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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