CVE-2020-36937
Unquoted Service Path in MEMU Play 3.7.0 Enables Privilege Escalation
Publication date: 2026-01-25
Last updated on: 2026-01-25
Assigner: VulnCheck
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| microvirt | memu_play | 3.7.0 |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-428 | The product uses a search path that contains an unquoted element, in which the element contains whitespace or other separators. This can cause the product to access resources in a parent path. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability is an unquoted service path issue in the 'MEmusvc' Windows service of MEMU Play version 3.7.0. Because the service executable path contains spaces but is not enclosed in quotes, a local attacker can place a malicious executable in certain directories along the path. When the service starts, it may execute this malicious code with elevated LocalSystem privileges, allowing the attacker to run arbitrary code on the system. [2, 3]
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
Exploiting this vulnerability allows a local attacker to escalate their privileges by executing arbitrary code with LocalSystem (highest) privileges. This can lead to full system compromise, including unauthorized access, modification, or destruction of data and system resources. [2, 3]
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
You can detect this vulnerability by checking the service configuration for the 'MEmusvc' Windows service to see if the executable path is unquoted. A suggested command is: sc qc "MEmusvc". This command will display the service configuration including the binary path, allowing you to verify if the path is unquoted and contains spaces, which indicates the vulnerability. [2]
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
Immediate mitigation steps include correcting the unquoted service path by adding quotes around the executable path in the service configuration to prevent execution of malicious executables. Additionally, ensure that no unauthorized executables exist in the directories along the service path (e.g., "C:\Program Files\Microvirt\MEmu\", "C:\Program Files\Microvirt\", "C:\Program Files\"). Restrict local user permissions to prevent placing malicious files in these directories and consider disabling or stopping the 'MEmusvc' service until the path is fixed. [2, 3]