Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This issue concerns a Genshin Impact anti-cheat Windows driver that can give SYSTEM-level control after it is installed. The initial installation requires administrative privileges, but once present it can be abused locally. Public reporting cited in the record links this driver to ransomware activity targeting antivirus defenses.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority endpoint hardening and threat-hunting item where Windows fleets or gaming software may exist. The business risk is not broad remote compromise; it is local privilege escalation and defense evasion on already-accessed systems.
Technical view
CVE-2020-36603 is a CWE-269 privilege-management flaw in mhyprot2.sys 1.0.0.0. The driver does not adequately restrict unprivileged function calls, enabling arbitrary code execution as SYSTEM on Windows after administrative installation. The CVE record does not provide affected CPEs or a named vendor patch.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on Windows endpoints where mhyprot2.sys 1.0.0.0 was installed legitimately with Genshin Impact or introduced later by an administrator or attacker. Asset inventories may miss it if they focus only on application names.
Exploitation context
The CVE is not marked as CISA KEV in the provided bundle. However, cited Trend Micro and Vice reporting describe ransomware-related abuse of the Genshin Impact anti-cheat driver to interfere with antivirus protections, making this more urgent than the medium CVSS label suggests.
Researcher notes
The record’s affected-product metadata is incomplete, listing vendor and product as n/a despite the description naming HoYoVerse Genshin Impact mhyprot2.sys. Validate findings against the driver name and version, and avoid assuming coverage from generic software inventory alone.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory Windows endpoints for mhyprot2.sys, especially version 1.0.0.0.
- Remove or quarantine unauthorized driver copies using approved endpoint procedures.
- Check HoYoVerse, Microsoft, and security vendor guidance for current handling.
- Restrict local administrator rights to reduce installation opportunities.
- Review driver allowlisting or blocking controls for unapproved kernel drivers.
Validation and detection
- Search endpoint telemetry for mhyprot2.sys load events and file presence.
- Confirm whether detected drivers are version 1.0.0.0.
- Review recent administrative installations on affected Windows hosts.
- Check EDR alerts for antivirus tampering near driver load times.
- Verify remediation by confirming the driver no longer loads.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-269: Authorization and privilege behavior lookup
Authorization weaknesses can support privilege escalation and valid-account review, depending on exploit path. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2020-36603 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 6.5 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H0.65.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
6.5MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/kkent030315/evil-mhyprot-cliCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/22/h/ransomware-actor-abuses-genshin-impact-anti-cheat-driver-to-kill-antivirus.htmlCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://www.vice.com/en/article/y3p35w/hackers-are-using-anti-cheat-in-genshin-impact-to-ransom-victimsCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/kagurazakasanae/Mhyprot2DrvControlCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://web.archive.org/web/20211204031301/https://www.godeye.club/2021/05/20/001-disclosure-mhyprot.htmlCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Privilege Management
Improper Privilege Management represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.