CVE-2013-3900

MEDIUM KEV RANSOMWARE

Windows - Remote Code Execution via Authenticode Signature Verification Bypass

Title source: llm
STIX 2.1

Exploitation Summary

CVE-2013-3900 is actively exploited and listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added January 10, 2022, with confirmed use in ransomware campaigns. EIP tracks 16 public exploits from researchers including norvethil, PREN0MEN, CyberCondor.

AI-analyzed exploit summary This PowerShell script demonstrates CVE-2013-3900 by injecting padding into the certificate section of a signed PE file (e.g., MSBuild.exe) to bypass Authenticode signature validation. It modifies the file, checks the signature status, and verifies the impact using WinVerifyTrust API calls.

Description

Why is Microsoft republishing a CVE from 2013? We are republishing CVE-2013-3900 in the Security Update Guide to update the Security Updates table and to inform customers that the EnableCertPaddingCheck is available in all currently supported versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11. While the format is different from the original CVE published in 2013, except for clarifications about how to configure the EnableCertPaddingCheck registry value, the information herein remains unchanged from the original text published on December 10, 2013, Microsoft does not plan to enforce the stricter verification behavior as a default functionality on supported releases of Microsoft Windows. This behavior remains available as an opt-in feature via reg key setting, and is available on supported editions of Windows released since December 10, 2013. This includes all currently supported versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11. The supporting code for this reg key was incorporated at the time of release for Windows 10 and Windows 11, so no security update is required; however, the reg key must be set. See the Security Updates table for the list of affected software. Vulnerability Description A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the WinVerifyTrust function handles Windows Authenticode signature verification for portable executable (PE) files. An anonymous attacker could exploit the vulnerability by modifying an existing signed executable file to leverage unverified portions of the file in such a way as to add malicious code to the file without invalidating the signature. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. If a user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights. Exploitation of this vulnerability requires that a user or application run or install a specially crafted, signed PE file. An attacker could modify an... See more at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2013-3900

Exploits (16)

nomisec WORKING POC 4 stars
by norvethil · poc
https://github.com/norvethil/CVE-2013-3900-PowerShell-PoC

This PowerShell script demonstrates CVE-2013-3900 by injecting padding into the certificate section of a signed PE file (e.g., MSBuild.exe) to bypass Authenticode signature validation. It modifies the file, checks the signature status, and verifies the impact using WinVerifyTrust API calls.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows Authenticode signature validation mechanism
No auth needed
Prerequisites: A signed PE file (e.g., MSBuild.exe) with an embedded Authenticode signature · PowerShell execution privileges
devstral-2 · analyzed Mar 05, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 4 stars
by PREN0MEN · poc
https://github.com/PREN0MEN/CVE-2013-3900-PowerShell-PoC

This PowerShell script demonstrates CVE-2013-3900 by injecting padding into the certificate section of a signed PE file, bypassing Authenticode validation on systems without the EnableCertPaddingCheck registry setting.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows Authenticode validation mechanism (affects all versions prior to the patch)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: A signed PE file (e.g., MSBuild.exe) · PowerShell execution policy bypass · System without EnableCertPaddingCheck registry setting
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 3 stars
by CyberCondor · poc
https://github.com/CyberCondor/Fix-WinVerifyTrustSignatureValidationVuln

This PowerShell script mitigates CVE-2013-3900 by enabling the EnableCertPaddingCheck registry key to enforce stricter Authenticode signature validation. It ensures the registry keys are set in both 64-bit and Wow6432Node paths to prevent exploitation of the WinVerifyTrust vulnerability.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft Windows (all supported versions)
Auth required
Prerequisites: Administrative privileges to modify registry keys
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec SCANNER
by SDimitri05 · poc
https://github.com/SDimitri05/cve-2013-3900-winverifytrust-mitigation

This repository contains a PowerShell script to mitigate CVE-2013-3900 by enforcing the WinVerifyTrust certificate padding check via registry settings. It is designed to address a Tenable/Nessus finding and includes verification logic.

Classification
Scanner 100%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows (WinVerifyTrust)
Auth required
Prerequisites: Administrator privileges · Windows OS
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WRITEUP
by ksgassama-lab · poc
https://github.com/ksgassama-lab/vulnerability-remediation-cve-2013-3900

This repository documents the remediation process for CVE-2013-3900, a WinVerifyTrust signature validation flaw, using PowerShell to apply a registry-based fix. It includes detection, remediation, and verification steps but does not contain exploit code.

Classification
Writeup 100%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft Windows (WinVerifyTrust function)
Auth required
Prerequisites: Access to the Windows Registry · Administrative privileges
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by piranhap · poc
https://github.com/piranhap/CVE-2013-3900_Remediation_PowerShell

This PowerShell script remediates CVE-2013-3900 by enabling or disabling the Authenticode signature verification fix via registry modifications. It targets both 32-bit and 64-bit systems and requires a reboot to apply changes.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft Windows (all versions affected by CVE-2013-3900)
Auth required
Prerequisites: Administrative privileges · Access to the target system
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WRITEUP
by oukridrig772 · poc
https://github.com/oukridrig772/-WinVerifyTrust-Signature-Validation-CVE-2013-3900-Mitigation

This repository provides a mitigation script for CVE-2013-3900, a vulnerability in Microsoft's WinVerifyTrust function that allows Authenticode signature bypass. The script enables stricter signature validation via registry modifications.

Classification
Writeup 90%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft Windows (WinVerifyTrust)
Auth required
Prerequisites: Administrative access to modify registry settings
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec SCANNER
by Sabecomoeh · poc
https://github.com/Sabecomoeh/CVE-2013-3900

This PowerShell script checks for the presence and correct configuration of registry entries required to mitigate CVE-2013-3900, a WinVerifyTrust Signature Validation Vulnerability. It does not exploit the vulnerability but verifies if the system is properly patched.

Classification
Scanner 100%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft Windows (all versions affected by CVE-2013-3900)
Auth required
Prerequisites: Administrative access to check registry entries
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WRITEUP
by malaya-m · poc
https://github.com/malaya-m/cve-2013-3900-remediation-report

This repository contains a remediation report for CVE-2013-3900, detailing steps to mitigate the WinVerifyTrust vulnerability on Windows Server 2019. It includes registry modifications and verification steps but does not contain exploit code.

Classification
Writeup 100%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows Server 2019 (WinVerifyTrust)
Auth required
Prerequisites: Administrative access to the target system
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WRITEUP
by pkblanks · poc
https://github.com/pkblanks/Remediating-CVE-2013-3900-EnableCertPaddingCheck-

This repository provides a detailed remediation guide for CVE-2013-3900, a WinVerifyTrust signature validation vulnerability, including registry-level fixes and validation steps. It does not contain exploit code but documents the mitigation process.

Classification
Writeup 100%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows Server 2019 (and other affected Windows versions)
Auth required
Prerequisites: Administrative access to modify registry settings · Ability to reboot the system
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by DavidBr27 · poc
https://github.com/DavidBr27/CVE-2013-3900-Remediation-Script

This PowerShell script remediates CVE-2013-3900 by enabling the EnableCertPaddingCheck registry key to prevent certificate validation bypass. It updates both 32-bit and 64-bit registry paths and restarts the system to apply changes.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft Windows (affected versions)
Auth required
Prerequisites: Administrative privileges on the target system
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by OtisSymbos · poc
https://github.com/OtisSymbos/CVE-2013-3900-WinTrustVerify

This PoC enables the Windows certificate padding check via registry modifications to mitigate CVE-2013-3900, a vulnerability in WinVerifyTrust that allows improper certificate validation. The script updates registry keys to enforce stricter certificate padding checks.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft Windows (WinVerifyTrust)
Auth required
Prerequisites: Administrative privileges to modify registry keys
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WRITEUP
by Securenetology · poc
https://github.com/Securenetology/CVE-2013-3900

This PowerShell script is a remediation guide for CVE-2013-3900, which addresses a vulnerability in Windows certificate padding checks. It creates registry keys to enable certificate padding checks and configures logging for CAPI2 events.

Classification
Writeup 100%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft Windows (affected versions as per MS13-098)
Auth required
Prerequisites: Administrative privileges on the target system
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
patchapalooza WORKING POC
by med0x2e · client-side
https://github.com/med0x2e/SigFlip

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2013-3900, which involves manipulating PE file signatures to bypass authentication checks. The code includes tools for decrypting and injecting shellcode into a target process, demonstrating a local privilege escalation (LPE) attack.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Lpe
Complexity
Complex
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows (PE file signature verification)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to a target system with vulnerable PE signature verification · Ability to execute arbitrary code on the target system
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 23, 2026 Full analysis →

Scores

CVSS v3 5.5
EPSS 0.7582
EPSS Percentile 98.9%
Attack Vector LOCAL
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

CISA SSVC

Vulnrichment
Exploitation active
Automatable no
Technical Impact partial

Details

CISA KEV 2022-01-10
VulnCheck KEV 2014-07-29
InTheWild.io 2021-11-01
ENISA EUVD EUVD-2013-3832
Ransomware Use Confirmed
CWE
CWE-347
Status published
Products (43)
Microsoft/Windows 10 Version 1507
Microsoft/Windows 10 Version 1607
Microsoft/Windows 10 Version 1809
Microsoft/Windows 10 Version 21H2
Microsoft/Windows 10 Version 22H2
Microsoft/Windows 11 version 21H2
Microsoft/Windows 11 version 22H2
Microsoft/Windows 11 version 22H3
Microsoft/Windows 11 Version 23H2
Microsoft/Windows 11 Version 24H2
... and 33 more
Published Dec 11, 2013
KEV Added Jan 10, 2022
Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026