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CVE-2020-3950

VMware Multiple Products Privilege Escalation

7.8 HIGHActively exploited (CISA KEV)Public exploitEPSS 7.25%
  1. Published17 Mar 2020
  2. Added to CISA KEV3 Nov 2021
  3. Remediation due3 May 2022
Actively exploited (CISA KEV)

VMware Fusion, Remote Console (VMRC) for Mac, and Horizon Client for Mac contain a privilege escalation vulnerability due to improper use of setuid binaries that allows attackers to escalate privileges to root.

Added to KEV: 3 Nov 2021Federal remediation due: 3 May 2022

Description

VMware Fusion (11.x before 11.5.2), VMware Remote Console for Mac (11.x and prior before 11.0.1) and Horizon Client for Mac (5.x and prior before 5.4.0) contain a privilege escalation vulnerability due to improper use of setuid binaries. Successful exploitation of this issue may allow attackers with normal user privileges to escalate their privileges to root on the system where Fusion, VMRC or Horizon Client is installed.

CVSS 3.1 breakdown

Attack vectorLocal
Attack complexityLow
Privileges requiredLow
User interactionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

VMware Fusion≥ 11.0.0 < 11.5.2
VMware Horizon Client≥ 5.0.0 < 5.4.0
VMware Remote Console≥ 11.0.0 < 11.0.1

Remediation

Fixed in
VMware Fusion≥ 11.5.2
VMware Horizon Client≥ 5.4.0
VMware Remote Console≥ 11.0.1

References

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Frequently asked

Is CVE-2020-3950 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2020-3950 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added 3 Nov 2021.

How severe is CVE-2020-3950?

CVE-2020-3950 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8, rated high. EPSS estimates a 7.25% probability of exploitation.

Which products are affected by CVE-2020-3950?

Affected products include VMware Fusion, VMware Horizon Client, VMware Remote Console.

How do I fix CVE-2020-3950?

Upgrade affected software to a fixed version, for example VMware Fusion 11.5.2, VMware Horizon Client 5.4.0, VMware Remote Console 11.0.1 or later, then confirm no affected versions remain in your inventory.

How Secuno handles this

Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2020-3950 against the real software inventory on every managed device, every day. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. Because it is on the CISA KEV list, Secuno flags any affected asset as top-priority automatically. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.

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Data from the NVD, CISA KEV catalog and FIRST EPSS. CVSS 3.1 base score shown where available.