CVE-2020-12691Network attack vector

Authenticated administrator impersonation via credential reassignment

Published May 6, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Incorrect authorization in OpenStack Keystone before 15.0.1 and in 16.0.0 allows remote authenticated users to gain administrator access. The EC2 credential update endpoint accepts changes to a regular user's credential owner and project without checking that the updated credential remains owned by that user. Any authenticated user with a role on one project can retarget a self-created credential to another user and project, then assume that user's privileges, including global administrator access when the victim has an administrative role.

CVSS severity8.8
High
EPSS probability4.92%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Incorrect authorization in OpenStack Keystone before 15.0.1 and in 16.0.0 allows remote authenticated users to gain administrator access. The EC2 credential update endpoint accepts changes to a regular user's credential owner and project without checking that the updated credential remains owned by that user. Any authenticated user with a role on one project can retarget a self-created credential to another user and project, then assume that user's privileges, including global administrator access when the victim has an administrative role.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-12691
Published
May 6, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-863, T1078.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 6, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

8.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.5NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:P/A:P

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-863Incorrect Authorization
T1078.004Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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