« Back to list

CVE-2016-20060

Status: DeferredHigh (8.5)—

Hotspot Shield 6.0.3 contains an unquoted service path vulnerability in the hshld service binary that allows local attackers to escalate privileges by injecting malicious executables. Attackers can place executable files in the service path and upon service restart or system reboot, the malicious code executes with LocalSystem privileges.

CVSS

Exploitation probability (EPSS)

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST) estimates how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited in the wild within 30 days. It complements CVSS (impact) and CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).

🎯 ATT&CK techniques

How this vulnerability is exploited and what the attacker gains, in MITRE ATT&CK terms.

Vector AV:L/PR:L/UI:N confirma escalada local sin interacción. Servicio con ruta sin comillas permite inyectar ejecutables que corren con privilegios de sistema (LocalSystem), logrando ejecución de código y control de cuenta.

Inferred by our analysis agent from the official description, CVSS vector and CWE, and checked by a supervisor. May contain errors.

🛡️ ATT&CK mitigations that cover these techniques

Privileged Account ManagementExecution PreventionDisable or Remove Feature or ProgramUser Account ManagementThreat Intelligence ProgramRestrict Web-Based Content

Affected technologies (1)

⚠ AI-inferred from the description — NVD hasn't analyzed this CVE yet, these aren't verified CPEs.

Hotspot Shield — Hotspot ShieldAI

CWEs

References

Raw JSON (NVD)

Show
{
  "id": "CVE-2016-20060",
  "cveTags": [],
  "metrics": {
    "ssvcV203": [
      {
        "source": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
        "ssvcData": {
          "id": "CVE-2016-20060",
          "role": "CISA Coordinator",
          "options": [
            {
              "exploitation": "poc"
            },
            {
              "automatable": "no"
            },
            {
              "technicalImpact": "total"
            }
          ],
          "version": "2.0.3",
          "timestamp": "2026-04-06T13:28:36.678248Z"
        }
      }
    ],
    "cvssMetricV31": [
      {
        "type": "Secondary",
        "source": "disclosure@vulncheck.com",
        "cvssData": {
          "scope": "UNCHANGED",
          "version": "3.1",
          "baseScore": 7.8,
          "attackVector": "LOCAL",
          "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
          "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
          "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
          "userInteraction": "NONE",
          "attackComplexity": "LOW",
          "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
          "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
          "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH"
        },
        "impactScore": 5.9,
        "exploitabilityScore": 1.8
      }
    ],
    "cvssMetricV40": [
      {
        "type": "Secondary",
        "source": "disclosure@vulncheck.com",
        "cvssData": {
          "Safety": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "version": "4.0",
          "Recovery": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "baseScore": 8.5,
          "Automatable": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "attackVector": "LOCAL",
          "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
          "valueDensity": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "vectorString": "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/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X",
          "exploitMaturity": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "providerUrgency": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "userInteraction": "NONE",
          "attackComplexity": "LOW",
          "attackRequirements": "NONE",
          "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
          "subIntegrityImpact": "NONE",
          "vulnIntegrityImpact": "HIGH",
          "integrityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedAttackVector": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "subAvailabilityImpact": "NONE",
          "vulnAvailabilityImpact": "HIGH",
          "availabilityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedUserInteraction": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedAttackComplexity": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "subConfidentialityImpact": "NONE",
          "vulnConfidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
          "confidentialityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedAttackRequirements": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedPrivilegesRequired": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedSubIntegrityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedVulnIntegrityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "vulnerabilityResponseEffort": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedSubAvailabilityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedVulnAvailabilityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedSubConfidentialityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedVulnConfidentialityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED"
        }
      }
    ]
  },
  "affected": [
    {
      "source": "disclosure@vulncheck.com",
      "affectedData": [
        {
          "vendor": "Hotspotshield",
          "product": "Hotspot Shield",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "6.0.3"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "published": "2026-04-04T14:16:18.757",
  "references": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40528",
      "source": "disclosure@vulncheck.com"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.hotspotshield.com",
      "source": "disclosure@vulncheck.com"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.hotspotshield.com/download/",
      "source": "disclosure@vulncheck.com"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/hotspot-shield-unquoted-service-path-privilege-escalation",
      "source": "disclosure@vulncheck.com"
    }
  ],
  "vulnStatus": "Deferred",
  "weaknesses": [
    {
      "type": "Secondary",
      "source": "disclosure@vulncheck.com",
      "description": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "CWE-428"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "Hotspot Shield 6.0.3 contains an unquoted service path vulnerability in the hshld service binary that allows local attackers to escalate privileges by injecting malicious executables. Attackers can place executable files in the service path and upon service restart or system reboot, the malicious code executes with LocalSystem privileges."
    },
    {
      "lang": "es",
      "value": "Hotspot Shield 6.0.3 contiene una vulnerabilidad de ruta de servicio sin comillas en el binario del servicio hshld que permite a atacantes locales escalar privilegios mediante la inyección de ejecutables maliciosos. Los atacantes pueden colocar archivos ejecutables en la ruta del servicio y al reiniciar el servicio o el sistema, el código malicioso se ejecuta con privilegios de LocalSystem."
    }
  ],
  "lastModified": "2026-07-20T20:10:00.110",
  "sourceIdentifier": "disclosure@vulncheck.com"
}