{"id":"CVE-2020-3950","url":"https://www.cyber-defence.io/tools/cve/CVE-2020-3950","generatedAt":"2026-10-28T05:26:39.474Z","title":"VMware Multiple Products Privilege Escalation Vulnerability","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.","published":"2020-03-17T19:15:12.000Z","lastModified":"2026-06-17T03:19:19.000Z","status":"Analyzed","sourceIdentifier":"security@vmware.com","cvss":{"version":"3.1","score":7.8,"severity":"HIGH","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"},"cwe":["CWE-269"],"affected":["vmware/fusion","vmware/horizon client","vmware/remote console"],"epss":{"score":0.07254,"percentile":0.9431,"date":"2026-10-27","history":[]},"kev":{"listed":true,"dateAdded":"2021-11-03","dueDate":"2022-05-03","knownRansomwareCampaignUse":"Unknown","notes":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.\nhttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-3950"},"exploits":{"count":2,"verified":true,"firstPublished":"2020-03-20","source":"Exploit-DB (https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb)","entries":[{"edbId":48337,"kind":"exploit","title":"VMware Fusion - USB Arbitrator Setuid Privilege Escalation (Metasploit)","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/48337","sourceUrl":"https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb/-/blob/main/exploits/macos/local/48337.rb","file":"exploits/macos/local/48337.rb","published":"2020-04-16","added":"2020-04-16","updated":"2020-04-16","author":"Metasploit","type":"local","platform":"macos","port":null,"verified":true,"codes":["CVE-2020-3950"],"tags":"Local","aliases":null,"applicationUrl":null,"screenshotUrl":null,"referenceUrl":"https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/master/modules/exploits/osx/local/vmware_fusion_lpe.rb"},{"edbId":48235,"kind":"exploit","title":"VMware Fusion 11.5.2 - Privilege Escalation","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/48235","sourceUrl":"https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb/-/blob/main/exploits/macos/local/48235.sh","file":"exploits/macos/local/48235.sh","published":"2020-03-20","added":"2020-03-20","updated":"2020-04-16","author":"Rich Mirch","type":"local","platform":"macos","port":null,"verified":true,"codes":["CVE-2020-3950"],"tags":null,"aliases":null,"applicationUrl":null,"screenshotUrl":null,"referenceUrl":null}]},"verdict":{"level":"urgent","text":"Known to be exploited in the wild (CISA KEV, CISA remediation deadline 3 May 2022). Treat as an emergency change: patch or isolate now, then hunt for prior compromise."},"changes":[],"references":[{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/156843/VMware-Fusion-11.5.2-Privilege-Escalation.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"security@vmware.com"},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/157079/VMware-Fusion-USB-Arbitrator-Setuid-Privilege-Escalation.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"security@vmware.com"},{"url":"https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2020-0005.html","tags":["Vendor Advisory"],"source":"security@vmware.com"},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/156843/VMware-Fusion-11.5.2-Privilege-Escalation.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/157079/VMware-Fusion-USB-Arbitrator-Setuid-Privilege-Escalation.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2020-0005.html","tags":["Vendor Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-3950","tags":["US Government Resource"],"source":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0"}],"sources":{"nvd":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-3950","epss":"https://www.first.org/epss/","kev":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","exploitdb":"https://www.exploit-db.com/"},"licence":"CC BY 4.0 — link back to the CVE Explorer if you publish the results; upstream data remains subject to its own terms."}