{"id":"CVE-2020-3950","published":"2020-03-17T19:15:12Z","modified":"2026-06-17T03:19:18Z","title":"VMware Multiple Products Privilege Escalation Vulnerability","vendor":"VMware","product":"Multiple Products","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"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.","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":null,"cvss":{"score":7.8,"severity":"HIGH","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.07254,"percentile":0.94326,"date":"2026-10-29","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2021-11-03","dueDate":"2022-05-03","ransomware":false,"requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","notes":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-3950","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2021-11-03","exploitedFirstSeen":"2021-11-03","ransomware":false,"evidence":[{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2021-11-03"}],"evidenceTotal":1,"provenance":"source"},"exploited":true,"otx":{"pulseCount":50,"pulses":[{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae20c1db17e7057ae7d9ad1","created":"2026-10-28"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae0ba7e0e2a97ff7b218819","created":"2026-10-27"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adf68b85c3e852f3c111d18","created":"2026-10-26"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adb740e397c3ad4799aa4cd","created":"2026-10-23"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ada236fcfba2dfa730ea482","created":"2026-10-22"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad8d33a077cbb5cab524d80","created":"2026-10-21"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 21, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad78130c4d1ac2be83a8b6d","created":"2026-10-20"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 20, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad62f63c24a405a3423cc13","created":"2026-10-19"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 19, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad4dda174e5797d0bd238b7","created":"2026-10-18"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 18, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad38c22e1848f8189d1c121","created":"2026-10-17"}],"provenance":"machine"},"cwes":[{"id":"CWE-269","name":"Improper Privilege Management"}],"references":[{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/156843/VMware-Fusion-11.5.2-Privilege-Escalation.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/157079/VMware-Fusion-USB-Arbitrator-Setuid-Privilege-Escalation.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2020-0005.html","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/156843/VMware-Fusion-11.5.2-Privilege-Escalation.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/157079/VMware-Fusion-USB-Arbitrator-Setuid-Privilege-Escalation.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2020-0005.html","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-3950","tags":["US Government Resource"]}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1068","name":"Exploitation for Privilege Escalation","tactics":["privilege-escalation"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: local privilege escalation via setuid binaries","mappingType":"exploitation_technique","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"contain a privilege escalation vulnerability due to improper use of setuid binaries","start":153,"end":236}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"},{"id":"T1548.001","name":"Setuid and Setgid","tactics":["privilege-escalation"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: abuse of setuid to gain root","mappingType":"primary_impact","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"improper use of setuid binaries","start":205,"end":236}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"}],"reports":[],"affected":[],"advisories":[],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2020-25215","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2020-25215","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2021-11-03","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[{"id":48235,"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/48235","title":"VMware Fusion 11.5.2 - Privilege Escalation","type":"local","platform":"macos","date":"2020-03-20","verified":true,"provenance":"source"},{"id":48337,"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/48337","title":"VMware Fusion - USB Arbitrator Setuid Privilege Escalation (Metasploit)","type":"local","platform":"macos","date":"2020-04-16","verified":true,"provenance":"source"},{"id":48337,"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/48337","title":"VMware Fusion - USB Arbitrator Setuid Privilege Escalation (Metasploit)","type":"local","platform":"macos","date":"2020-04-16","verified":true,"provenance":"source"}],"exploitSources":{"exploitdb":{"count":3,"earliest":"2020-03-20"},"metasploit":[{"name":"VMware Fusion USB Arbitrator Setuid Privilege Escalation","module":"exploit/osx/local/vmware_fusion_lpe","type":"exploit","disclosureDate":"2020-03-17","url":"https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/osx/local/vmware_fusion_lpe.rb"}],"first":{"date":"2020-03-17","source":"Metasploit","url":"https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/osx/local/vmware_fusion_lpe.rb"},"provenance":"source"},"exploitRefs":["http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/156843/VMware-Fusion-11.5.2-Privilege-Escalation.html","http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/157079/VMware-Fusion-USB-Arbitrator-Setuid-Privilege-Escalation.html"],"flow":[{"stage":"exploitation","techniques":["T1068"],"provenance":"ai"},{"stage":"primary","techniques":["T1548.001"],"provenance":"ai"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2020-03-17","kind":"published","label":"Published (NVD)","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-3950","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2020-03-17","kind":"exploit-public","label":"First public exploit: Metasploit; later: Exploit-DB 2020-03-20","url":"https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/osx/local/vmware_fusion_lpe.rb","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2021-11-03","kind":"exploited-reported","label":"Exploitation first reported (VulnCheck KEV evidence)","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2021-11-03","kind":"kev","label":"Added to CISA KEV","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2021-11-03","kind":"euvd-exploited","label":"ENISA EUVD: exploited","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2020-25215","provenance":"source"}],"speed":{"daysToPublicExploit":0,"firstExploitFrom":"Metasploit","daysToKev":596},"priority":{"score":67.3,"factors":[{"name":"In a KEV catalog","points":35.0,"detail":"listed in CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV"},{"name":"Recent KEV listing","points":0.0,"detail":"added 1821 days ago"},{"name":"Known ransomware use","points":0.0,"detail":"not known"},{"name":"EPSS percentile","points":18.87,"detail":"percentile 0.9433"},{"name":"Named in threat reports","points":0.0,"detail":"0 reports"},{"name":"Public exploit code","points":5.0,"detail":"2 NVD references tagged Exploit; 3 Exploit-DB entries; 1 Metasploit module"},{"name":"Mentioned in OTX pulses","points":3.0,"detail":"50 pulses"},{"name":"CVSS severity","points":5.46,"detail":"base score 7.8"},{"name":"End-of-life product","points":0.0,"detail":"supported or unknown"}]}}