CVE-2020-12744 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability found in the MSI installer component of Verint Desktop Resources version 15.2. This vulnerability allows an unprivileged local user to elevate their privileges during the installation or repair process of the software. The core issue relates to improper handling of permissions during the MSI installation sequence, which can be exploited by a low-privileged user to gain higher system privileges, potentially administrative rights. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-281, which pertains to improper authorization or access control. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8, indicating a high severity level, with the vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. This means the attack requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), low privileges (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability to a high degree (C:H/I:H/A:H). Although no known exploits are reported in the wild, the vulnerability poses a significant risk because it can be leveraged by malicious insiders or attackers who have gained limited local access to escalate privileges and compromise the system fully. The lack of patch links suggests that either a patch is not publicly available or not documented in the provided data, emphasizing the need for organizations to verify vendor updates or apply workarounds.

For European organizations, this vulnerability presents a critical risk especially in environments where Verint Desktop Resources 15.2 is deployed. Verint solutions are often used in customer engagement, workforce optimization, and security intelligence, making affected systems potentially valuable targets. Successful exploitation could allow an attacker with local access to gain administrative privileges, leading to full system compromise, unauthorized access to sensitive data, disruption of services, and potential lateral movement within corporate networks. This could impact confidentiality, integrity, and availability of critical business operations. Given the high CVSS score and the nature of the vulnerability, organizations in sectors such as finance, telecommunications, government, and critical infrastructure in Europe could face severe operational and reputational damage if exploited. The absence of known exploits in the wild does not diminish the threat, as the vulnerability could be weaponized in targeted attacks or insider threat scenarios.

European organizations should immediately verify if they are running Verint Desktop Resources version 15.2 or related vulnerable versions. Since no patch links are provided, organizations should contact Verint support to obtain official patches or guidance. In the interim, restrict local access to systems running this software to trusted personnel only, and implement strict access controls and monitoring on endpoints. Employ application whitelisting and endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to detect suspicious installation or repair activities. Regularly audit installed software and MSI installer logs for unauthorized privilege escalations. Additionally, consider deploying least privilege principles and segmenting networks to limit the impact of a compromised endpoint. If possible, disable or restrict the MSI installer execution for non-administrative users. Finally, maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans to quickly recover from potential compromises.