Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2020-37232 is a local privilege escalation flaw in IObit Advanced System Care Service 13.0.0.157. A low-privileged local attacker could abuse the Windows service path handling issue to gain LocalSystem privileges when the service starts. This is high risk on shared, kiosk, helpdesk, or already-compromised endpoints.
Executive priority
Treat as a high-priority endpoint hygiene issue, especially where local users are untrusted or machines are shared. It is not remote-code execution, but it can turn a limited local foothold into full system control.
Technical view
The issue is CWE-428, an unquoted service path in the AdvancedSystemCareService13 service binary path. The CVSS 4.0 score is 8.5 high with local attack vector, low complexity, low privileges, no user interaction, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact on the vulnerable system.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to Windows systems running IObit Advanced System Care Service version 13.0.0.157. The source bundle does not identify other affected versions or products, so do not broaden scope without vendor or asset evidence.
Exploitation context
ExploitDB is cited as a public exploit reference, but the bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or confirmed active exploitation. Abuse requires local access or an already-compromised low-privileged account, making this mainly a post-compromise or insider-risk escalation path.
Researcher notes
Scope evidence is narrow: IObit Advanced System Care Service 13.0.0.157, service name AdvancedSystemCareService13, CWE-428. The bundle names no patch version and no active exploitation. Validation should avoid assuming other versions are vulnerable unless confirmed by vendor data or testing.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory endpoints for Advanced System Care Service 13.0.0.157.
- Check IObit guidance for fixed versions or vendor-recommended remediation.
- Upgrade, remove, or disable the affected service where business use is not required.
- Restrict local interactive access on systems where the product remains installed.
- Review endpoint controls for unauthorized file creation in sensitive root paths.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether AdvancedSystemCareService13 exists on managed Windows endpoints.
- Verify the installed product version is 13.0.0.157 or another vendor-confirmed affected build.
- Inspect the service binary path for unquoted paths containing spaces.
- Review EDR or file telemetry for suspicious root-path executable creation.
- Document systems where the product is absent, updated, removed, or still exposed.
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-428: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. 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 lookupPrivilege behavior lookup
The CVE wording references privilege impact, so privilege escalation and authorization behavior review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2020-37232 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
- High
- CVSS
- 8.5 (4.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: 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
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.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
2 official scoresWe 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:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N——VulnCheckCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9VulnCheckVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 4.0 score
8.5HighVector: 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
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- ExploitDB-49049CVE reference, VulnCheck · exploit
- Official Product HomepageCVE reference, VulnCheck · product
- Product ReferenceCVE reference, VulnCheck · product
- VulnCheck Advisory: Advanced System Care Service 13.0.0.157 Unquoted Service Path Privilege EscalationCVE reference, VulnCheck · third-party-advisory
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.
Unquoted Search Path or Element
Unquoted Search Path or Element represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.