Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2020-7360 is a local privilege-escalation issue in Philips SmartControl. A low-privileged authenticated user may be able to make the application load an unsafe library and gain higher privileges. It is serious for shared endpoints, but the sources do not show remote exploitation or confirmed active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority endpoint hygiene issue, not an internet emergency. Patch or remove affected SmartControl installations where local users share systems or where endpoint privilege escalation would materially increase business risk.
Technical view
The issue is CWE-427, Uncontrolled Search Path Element, in Philips SmartControl 4.3.15 and versions released before April 15, 2020. CVSS 3.1 is 7.4: local access, high complexity, low privileges, user interaction, changed scope, high confidentiality and integrity impact, and low availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to systems running affected Philips SmartControl builds, especially where non-administrative users can sign in locally. Internet-facing exposure is not indicated by the provided sources.
Exploitation context
The CVE describes local authenticated privilege escalation through unsafe DLL search behavior. CISA KEV status is false in the bundle, and no cited source confirms active exploitation in the wild.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited to the CVE record and the referenced public write-up. The bundle names the class, affected version window, CVSS vector, and fixed version, but does not provide KEV evidence, broad exploitation claims, or detailed vendor mitigation text.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade Philips SmartControl to fixed version 1.0.7 or later vendor-supported guidance.
- Inventory endpoints for SmartControl 4.3.15 and builds released before April 15, 2020.
- Remove SmartControl where it is unnecessary for business operations.
- Limit local interactive access on systems that must retain affected software.
- Monitor vendor advisories for any later corrected builds or deployment notes.
Validation and detection
- Confirm installed SmartControl versions against the fixed 1.0.7 release note in the CVE description.
- Prioritize validation on shared workstations and systems with multiple authenticated users.
- Review endpoint telemetry for unusual SmartControl-related library loading events.
- Verify that remediation changed the installed build, noting the vendor version-numbering change.
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-427: 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 lookupCVE-2020-7360 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
- 7.4 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:L
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:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:L0.86Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.4HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:L
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://blog.vonahi.io/when-the-path-to-system-is-wide-open/CVE 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.
Uncontrolled Search Path Element
Uncontrolled Search Path Element represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.