How severe is CVE-2020-0606?

CVE-2020-0606 has a CVSS score of 8.8/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2020-0606?

CVE-2020-0606 affects the following packages: Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Ref (NuGet), Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Ref (NuGet), Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x86 (NuGet), Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x86 (NuGet), Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x64 (NuGet), Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x64 (NuGet). Ecosystems affected: NuGet.

How do I fix CVE-2020-0606?

Update Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Ref to 3.0.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2020-0606 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2020-0606 in my NuGet dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Ref. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.

How do I mitigate CVE-2020-0606 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

How does O3 Security protect against CVE-2020-0606?

O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2020-0606 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.

Is CVE-2020-0606 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2020-0606 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2020-0606?

CVE-2020-0606 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 17.3%, placing it in the 97th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score warrants monitoring and prompt remediation.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2020-0606?

CVE-2020-0606 is classified as Improper Input Validation (CWE-20). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

When was CVE-2020-0606 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2020-0606 was published on January 14, 2020 and was last updated on April 10, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

CVE-2020-0606: Remote code execution in Microsoft.WindowsDeskto…

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

17.3%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Moderate Risk97th percentile-15.00%

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.

Blast Radius

6 pkgs affected

.NETMicrosoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Ref.NETMicrosoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Ref.NETMicrosoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x86.NETMicrosoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x86.NETMicrosoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x64.NETMicrosoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x64

Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects NuGet packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.

Description

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in .NET software when the software fails to check the source markup of a file.An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user, aka '.NET Framework Remote Code Execution Vulnerability'. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2020-0605.

Affected Packages

6 total 6 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
.NETNuGet	`Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Ref`	≥ 3.0.1&&< 3.0.2	3.0.2
.NETNuGet	`Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Ref`	≥ 3.1.0&&< 3.1.1	3.1.1
.NETNuGet	`Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x86`	≥ 3.0.0&&< 3.0.2	3.0.2
.NETNuGet	`Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x86`	≥ 3.1.0&&< 3.1.11	3.1.11
.NETNuGet	`Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x64`	≥ 3.0.0&&< 3.0.2	3.0.2
.NETNuGet	`Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x64`	≥ 3.1.0&&< 3.1.11	3.1.11

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Ref. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Ref to 3.0.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2020-0606 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2020-0606 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.

Tailored to CVE-2020-0606. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in .NET software when the software fails to check the source markup of a file.An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user, aka '.NET Framework Remote Code Execution Vulnerability'. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2020-0605.

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2020-0606 in your dependencies?

O3 detects CVE-2020-0606 across NuGet dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.

Scan my dependencies How O3 SCA works

CVE-2020-0606