CCleaner v5.33.6162 and CCleaner Cloud v1.07.3191 (32-bit builds) contained a malicious pre-entry-point loader that diverts execution from __scrt_common_main_seh into a custom loader. That loader decodes an embedded blob into shellcode, allocates executable heap memory, resolves Windows API functions at runtime, and transfers execution to an in-memory payload. The payload performs anti-analysis checks, gathers host telemetry, encodes the data with a two-stage obfuscation, and attempts HTTPS exfiltration to hard-coded C2 servers or month-based DGA domains. Potential impacts include remote data collection and exfiltration, stealthy in-memory execution and persistence, and potential lateral movement. CCleaner was developed by Piriform, which was acquired by Avast in July 2017; Avast later merged with NortonLifeLock to form the parent company now known as Gen Digital. According to vendor advisories, the compromised CCleaner build was released on August 15, 2017 and remediated on September 12, 2017 with v5.34; the compromised CCleaner Cloud build was released on August 24, 2017 and remediated on September 15, 2017 with v1.07.3214.
CVE-2017-20201
This critical-severity CVE scores 9.3 under NVD CVSS v3. EPSS exploit probability: 0.5%, top 61% of all CVEs by exploit prediction. GitHub Security Advisory data not yet ingested — confidence will rise once GHSA publishes (typical lag: hours to days for open-source ecosystem CVEs; never for infrastructure-only CVEs).
- High severity, but no confirmed exploitation yet
No vendor fix yet — apply a workaround or compensating control (WAF / firewall / segmentation) and watch for a patch.
- CVSS v3
- 9.3
- EG Score
- 9.3(medium)
- EPSS
- 39.5%
- KEV
- Not listed
Published
October 8, 2025
Last Modified
April 15, 2026
Advisory Details (8)
Auto-updated Jul 17, 2026CCleaner Backdoor: Analysis & Recommendations - CrowdStrike
https://www.crowdstrike.com/en-us/blog/protecting-software-supply-chain-deep-insights-ccleaner-backdoor/CCleaner v5.33.6162 & CCleaner Cloud v1.07.3191 Malicious Backdoor Supply Chain Compromise | Advisories | VulnCheck
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/ccleaner-and-ccleaner-cloud-malicious-backdoor-supply-chain-compromiseMorphisec Discovers CCleaner Backdoor Saving Millions of Avast Users
https://www.morphisec.com/blog/morphisec-discovers-ccleaner-backdoor/Security Notification for CCleaner v5.33.6162 and CCleaner Cloud v1.07.3191 for 32-bit Windows users
https://www.ccleaner.com/knowledge/security-notification-ccleaner-v5336162-ccleaner-cloud-v1073191CCleaner Makes Your Computer Faster & More Secure | Official Website
https://www.ccleaner.com/CCleanup: A Vast Number of Machines at Risk
https://blog.talosintelligence.com/avast-distributes-malware/Update to the CCleaner 5.33.6162 Security Incident
https://blog.avast.com/update-to-the-ccleaner-5.33.6162-security-incidentWeakness Classification(1)
MITRE Common Weakness Enumeration — the root-cause categories this CVE belongs to.
Data Freshness Timeline
(refreshed 13× in last 7d / 40× in last 30d)
Each row is a source pipeline that fetched or updated this CVE on that date, with what changed. For example, "NVD update" means NVD published or revised its analysis for this CVE; "MITRE cvelistV5" means we ingested or refreshed it from the CNA feed. Most recent first.
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Frequently asked(5)
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Dependency Blast Radius
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