CVE-2020-3952
Confirmed PUBLISHEDUnder certain conditions, vmdir that ships with VMware vCenter Server, as part of an embedded or external Platform Services Controller (PSC), does...
Recommended Action
Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
At a Glance
Under certain conditions, vmdir that ships with VMware vCenter Server, as part of an embedded or external Platform Services Controller (PSC), does not correctly implement access controls.
- CVE Published
- Apr 10, 2020
- Exploitation Reported
- Nov 03, 2021
- CVSS
- 9.8 Critical
- EPSS
- —
Affected Versions
| Vendor | Product | Version | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| n/a |
VMware vCenter Server
|
vCenter Server 6.7 (embedded or external PSC) prior to 6.7u3f is affected by CVE-2020-3952 if it was upgraded from a previous release line such as 6.0 or 6.5. Clean installations of vCenter Server 6.7 (embedded or external PSC) are not affected. |
Affected |
CVE References
- vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2020-0006 vmware.com · CVE Record https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2020-0006
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/157896/VMware-vCenter-Server-6.7-Authe... packetstormsecurity.com · CVE Record http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/157896/VMware-vCenter-Server-6.7...
Recommended Actions
- Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
- Check enrichment artifacts for scanner coverage and available PoCs before rolling remediation validation.
- Use the Pro API to automate enrichment, telemetry, and workflow delivery for VM, SOC, and CTI pipelines.
Known Exploited Vulnerability Sources
Catalogues that list this CVE as a known exploited vulnerability.
Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the KEVIntel Pro API.
Learn about Pro API access| Source | Added |
|---|---|
| CISA First | 2021-11-03 00:00 UTC |
Scanner Artifacts
Nuclei and Metasploit references linked to this CVE.
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclei | https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2020/CVE-2020-3952.yaml | Jun 01, 2026 |
Virtual Patch
Compensating WAF rules to help reduce exposure to this CVE. Rule content and deployable vendor exports are available with KEVIntel Enterprise.
KEVIntel does not currently have a virtual patch for this CVE. When available, KEVIntel virtual patches ship as deployable ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF rules.
Enterprise feature. Virtual patch rule content and deployable vendor exports (ModSecurity, Cloudflare, AWS WAF) are available to KEVIntel Enterprise users.
CVSS Scores
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Exploitation Status
Exploited in the wild
Recorded 2021-11-03 00:00:00 UTC · CISA
Proof of concept available
Recorded 2020-04-15 00:51:21 UTC · GitHub
Weaknesses (CWE)
-
Missing Authentication for Critical Function
Scanner Integrations
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclei | https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2020/CVE-2020-3952.yaml | Jun 01, 2026 |
Potential Proof of Concepts
These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.
github · Created 2020-04-17 12:39:31 UTC · 1 stars
VMWare vmdir missing access control exploit checker
github · Created 2020-04-16 01:39:33 UTC · 6 stars
Working Exploit PoC for VMWare vCenter Server (CVE-2020-3952) - Reverse Bind Shell
nuclei · Created Unknown
Timeline
Key exploitation, disclosure, scanner coverage, and KEV attestation events for this CVE.
-
15:34 UTC about 2 months ago15:34 UTC · about 2 months ago
Nuclei template available
Scanner coverage available
-
00:00 UTC over 4 years ago00:00 UTC · over 4 years ago
Added to CISA KEV
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
-
00:51 UTC over 6 years ago00:51 UTC · over 6 years ago
Public PoC available
Public proof-of-concept code published
-
13:55 UTC over 6 years ago13:55 UTC · over 6 years ago
CVE published
Vulnerability disclosed publicly
-
00:00 UTC over 6 years ago00:00 UTC · over 6 years ago
CVE ID reserved
Identifier reserved by the CNA
Automate This Intelligence with the Pro API
Confidence scoring, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.
Pro API Example
GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2020-3952
{
"cve_id": "CVE-2020-3952",
"title": "Under certain conditions, vmdir that ships with VMware vCenter Server, as par...",
"affected_vendor": "VMware",
"affected_product": "VMware vCenter Server",
"affected_versions": [
{ "vendor": "...", "product": "...", "status": "affected", "display_label": "..." }
],
"confidence": "Confirmed",
"cvss_score": 9.8,
"epss_score": null,
"exploit_status": {
"exploited_in_the_wild": true,
"active_exploitation_observed": false
},
"sensor_telemetry": { "...": "Pro API fields" },
"proof_of_concepts": [ "..." ],
"scanner_integrations": [ "..." ]
}