What is CVE-2020-0688?
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Exchange software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory, aka 'Microsoft Exchange Memory Corruption Vulnerability'.
The record classifies CVE-2020-0688 under weakness class CWE-287. Its CVSS v3 base vector states that the flaw is reachable remotely over the network, needs low-privilege credentials, needs no user interaction, and has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability. 6 affected-product entries are recorded, across 1 vendor, listed below. The identifier was first published 2453 days ago.
Severity and exploitation probability
- CVSS v3.1 base score
- 8.8 — HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - EPSS (FIRST)
- 99.9% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 99.9% of all scored CVEs
- CISA KEV
- Listed since 2021-11-03, federal remediation deadline 2022-05-03 — used in known ransomware campaigns
- Threadlinqs priority
- 10/10 — CISA lists it as used in ransomware, which Threadlinqs scores at the maximum
- Published
- 2020-02-11, last modified 2025-10-21
Is CVE-2020-0688 being exploited?
CISA added CVE-2020-0688 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2021-11-03, which means the agency holds evidence of exploitation in the wild; US federal civilian agencies had to remediate it by 2022-05-03 under BOD 22-01. CISA flags the vulnerability as one used in known ransomware campaigns. Weaponised exploit code for CVE-2020-0688 is publicly available. 11 public proof-of-concept repositories are tracked for this identifier. It currently carries a trending score of 58 in the Threadlinqs vulnerability feed.
- zcgonvh/CVE-2020-0688 (github)
- Ridter/cve-2020-0688 (github)
- random-robbie/cve-2020-0688 (github)
- Yt1g3r/CVE-2020-0688_EXP (github)
- Jumbo-WJB/CVE-2020-0688 (github)
- onSec-fr/CVE-2020-0688-Scanner (github)
- w4fz5uck5/cve-2020-0688-webshell-upload-technique (github)
- MrTiz/CVE-2020-0688 (github)
Affected products and versions
- Microsoft: Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019
Showing 4 of 6 recorded product entries.
How to fix CVE-2020-0688
The record marks a vendor fix as available for CVE-2020-0688. Patch reference: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2020-0688. Vendor advisory: https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-0688. Because CVE-2020-0688 is KEV-listed, US federal civilian agencies were required to apply the vendor fix, or stop using the product, by 2022-05-03. Apply the vendor fix referenced above to every affected product listed in this record, then confirm the running version against the vendor advisory.
Threat activity tracking CVE-2020-0688
6 tracked threats in the Threadlinqs corpus reference CVE-2020-0688, either in the campaign’s CVE list or as an indicator on the campaign record.
- September 2026 APT Group Threat Report (AhnLab ASEC): DPRK, China, Russia, Iran/Pakistan-linked activity incl. supply-chain and legitimate-service C2 abuse — HIGH · 2026-10-16
- September 2026 CVE Landscape: 94 high-impact vulnerabilities, NetScaler zero-days CVE-2026-88771/CVE-2026-88772, AI-agent-assisted exploitation — CRITICAL · 2026-10-14
- NightEagle (APT-Q-95) Deploys GhostContainer Backdoor on Exchange, Exploits BlueKeep (CVE-2019-0708) and DCSync to Compromise Russian Active Directory — CRITICAL · 2026-09-21
- MuddyWater Operation Olalampo — Iran MOIS-Nexus APT Deploys New Malware Variants with Telegram Bot C2 Targeting Middle Eastern Governments and Critical Infrastructure — HIGH · 2026-02-28
- Static Tundra ICS Attacks on Polish Energy Infrastructure with DynoWiper — CRITICAL · 2026-02-02
- Static Tundra (Dragonfly/Energetic Bear) ICS Attacks on Polish Energy Infrastructure — CRITICAL · 2026-02-02
Sources
Enriched from CVE.org, FIRST EPSS, CISA KEV, public proof-of-concept repositories. Last verified by Threadlinqs on .