CVE-2020-36977: Wondershare Driver Privilege Escalation

CVE-2020-36977 Overview

CVE-2020-36977 is an unquoted service path vulnerability affecting the Wondershare Driver Install Service, specifically within the ElevationService executable. This security flaw allows local attackers to potentially inject malicious code by exploiting improper path handling in Windows service configurations.

When a Windows service path contains spaces and is not enclosed in quotation marks, the operating system may misinterpret the intended executable path. Attackers can leverage this behavior to place a malicious executable in an earlier-parsed directory location, causing Windows to execute the attacker's code instead of the legitimate service binary.

Critical Impact

Local attackers can exploit this vulnerability to escalate privileges to the LocalSystem account, gaining complete control over the affected system.

Affected Products

• Wondershare Driver Install Service
• Wondershare Dr.Fone (contains affected service)
• Wondershare software products utilizing ElevationService

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-27 - CVE-2020-36977 published to NVD
• 2026-01-29 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2020-36977

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-428 (Unquoted Search Path or Element), a common Windows service configuration weakness. The Wondershare Driver Install Service registers a service executable path that contains spaces but lacks proper quotation marks around the full path string.

When Windows attempts to start a service with an unquoted path like C:\Program Files\Wondershare\Driver Install Service\ElevationService.exe, it parses the path sequentially, attempting to execute:

1. C:\Program.exe
2. C:\Program Files\Wondershare\Driver.exe
3. C:\Program Files\Wondershare\Driver Install\Service\ElevationService.exe

If an attacker can write a malicious executable to any of these intermediate locations (such as C:\Program Files\Wondershare\Driver.exe), Windows will execute it with the service's privileges before reaching the legitimate binary.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper service registration within the Windows registry. The service path stored under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ lacks quotation marks around the executable path string. This misconfiguration allows Windows Service Control Manager (SCM) to misparse paths containing whitespace characters, creating an opportunity for binary planting attacks.

Attack Vector

This is a local attack vector requiring the attacker to have local access to the target system with sufficient permissions to write files to directories within the service path hierarchy. The attack typically proceeds as follows:

1. The attacker identifies the unquoted service path vulnerability in the Wondershare Driver Install Service
2. The attacker determines which intermediate path location is writable based on their current privileges
3. A malicious executable is placed at the chosen location (e.g., Driver.exe in the Wondershare directory)
4. Upon next service restart or system reboot, Windows executes the malicious binary with LocalSystem privileges
5. The attacker achieves privilege escalation from their initial access level to full system control

The vulnerability exploitation does not require user interaction once the malicious binary is placed, as it triggers automatically during service operations. Additional technical details and proof-of-concept information can be found in the Exploit-DB #49101 entry and the VulnCheck Security Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2020-36977

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected executable files in the C:\Program Files\Wondershare\ directory tree with names like Driver.exe or similar truncated variants
• New or modified executables in directories along the Wondershare service path that were not part of legitimate installations
• Service execution anomalies where the ElevationService spawns unexpected child processes or network connections
• Windows Event Log entries showing service start failures followed by unusual process activity

Detection Strategies

• Query the Windows registry for services with unquoted paths containing spaces using PowerShell: Get-WmiObject Win32_Service | Where-Object { $_.PathName -notmatch '^".*"$' -and $_.PathName -match ' ' }
• Implement file integrity monitoring (FIM) on directories within the Wondershare installation path to detect unauthorized binary additions
• Monitor Windows Security event logs (Event ID 4688) for process creation events originating from unexpected locations within the service path
• Deploy endpoint detection rules that alert on new executable files created in C:\Program Files\Wondershare\ outside of expected software installation windows

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure SentinelOne to monitor for suspicious executable creation in directories along unquoted service paths
• Establish baseline file system state for Wondershare installation directories and alert on deviations
• Implement process lineage monitoring to detect when services spawn unexpected child processes
• Review Windows service configurations periodically using automated compliance checks to identify unquoted path vulnerabilities

How to Mitigate CVE-2020-36977

Immediate Actions Required

• Audit the affected service path in the Windows registry and manually add quotation marks around the executable path
• Review directory permissions along the service path hierarchy to ensure non-administrative users cannot write files
• Scan the Wondershare installation directory tree for any suspicious or unexpected executable files
• Consider temporarily disabling the Wondershare Driver Install Service if not immediately required

Patch Information

Users should check Wondershare's official website for updated software versions that address this vulnerability. The Dr.Fone product page may contain information about patched versions. In the absence of an official patch, manual remediation of the service path is recommended.

Workarounds

• Manually correct the service path by adding quotation marks in the registry: Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\[ServiceName] and enclose the ImagePath value in double quotes
• Restrict write permissions on intermediate directories to administrators only using NTFS ACLs
• Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized executables from running in the Wondershare directory structure
• Use SentinelOne's endpoint protection to block execution of untrusted binaries in sensitive directory locations

# Registry fix to quote the service path (run as Administrator)
# Query current service configuration
sc qc "Wondershare Driver Install Service"

# Update the path with proper quotation (example - adjust path as needed)
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WsElevationService" /v ImagePath /t REG_EXPAND_SZ /d "\"C:\Program Files\Wondershare\Driver Install Service\ElevationService.exe\"" /f