CVE-2020-0655: 
vulnerability analysis and mitigation

A remote code execution vulnerability (CVE-2020-0655) exists in Remote Desktop Services (formerly known as Terminal Services) when an authenticated attacker abuses clipboard redirection. The vulnerability was disclosed on February 11, 2020, affecting various versions of Microsoft Windows operating systems including Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, and multiple Windows Server versions (NVD).

The vulnerability exists within PathCchCanonicalize that can be leveraged by a malicious RDP server to write files on a connected RDP client system. The issue is related to how forward and back slash characters are processed and serves as a bypass for the mitigation introduced in CVE-2019-0887. The vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.0 (High) with the vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, indicating network attack vector, low attack complexity, low privileges required, and user interaction required (AttackerKB).

If successfully exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the target system, potentially gaining the same level of access as the authenticated user. The vulnerability affects confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system, all rated as High according to the CVSS metrics (NVD).

Microsoft has released security updates to address this vulnerability. Users and administrators should apply the appropriate patches through Windows Update for their specific Windows version. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of Windows, including Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, and various Windows Server versions (Microsoft Security Advisory).