Screenpad2 Upgrade ToolApplication · Asus

CVE-2020-15009

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-07-20
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
AsusScreenXpertServicec.exe and ScreenXpertUpgradeServiceManager.exe in ScreenPad2_Upgrade_Tool.msi V1.0.3 for ASUS PCs with ScreenPad 1.0 (UX450FDX, UX550GDX and UX550GEX) could lead to unsigned code execution with no additional restrictions when a user puts an application at a particular path with a particular file name.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

The AsusScreenXpertServicec.exe and ScreenXpertUpgradeServiceManager.exe in ASUS ScreenPad 2 Upgrade Tool V1.0.3 for ScreenPad 1.0 devices contain a binary planting vulnerability that allows unsigned code execution. The service executables load and run an application from a specific path with a specific filename without validation, enabling privilege escalation if an attacker places a malicious executable at that location.

MitigationDisable or remove the vulnerable ScreenPad 2 Upgrade Tool service, and restrict file system permissions on the path where the service searches for executables to prevent unauthorized code placement.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Screenpad2 Upgrade ToolApplication
Affected:= 1.0.3

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check if ASUS ScreenPad 2 Upgrade Tool is installed
    Look for the application in Add/Remove Programs (Windows) or check for the installation directory typically under C:\Program Files\ASUS\ScreenPad2 Upgrade Tool or similar locations
    Affected if The application is present and version 1.0.3 is installed
  2. Identify the vulnerable service executables
    Search for AsusScreenXpertServicec.exe and ScreenXpertUpgradeServiceManager.exe on the system - check installation directory and system service paths
    Affected if Either executable is found on the system
  3. Verify the installed version
    Right-click each executable, select Properties, and check the File Version or Product Version field
    Affected if Version shows exactly 1.0.3 for either executable
  4. Check if the vulnerable service is running
    Open Services console (services.msc) and look for ASUS ScreenXpert or ScreenPad Upgrade related services, or run 'sc query' to enumerate services
    Affected if A service associated with these executables is currently running
  5. Identify the executable load path
    Use process monitoring tools or examine the service configuration to determine the path from which the service loads executables without validation
    Affected if The service loads executables from a path that low-privilege users can modify

The system is affected if ASUS ScreenPad 2 Upgrade Tool version 1.0.3 is installed and the vulnerable service executables (AsusScreenXpertServicec.exe or ScreenXpertUpgradeServiceManager.exe) are present and running, with an exploitable path where unprivileged users can place malicious code.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Disable or remove the vulnerable ScreenPad 2 Upgrade Tool service, and restrict file system permissions on the path where the service searches for executables to prevent unauthorized code placement.

Fix this in Screenpad2 Upgrade Tool Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,180
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Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-15009 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data