CVE-2020-4276Network attack vector

Privilege escalation via SOAP token authentication

Published Mar 26, 2020 · Updated Sep 17, 2024

Privilege escalation in IBM WebSphere Application Server traditional 7.0, 8.0, 8.5, and 9.0 allows remote authenticated users to gain privileges. The SOAP connector accepts token-based authentication for an administrative request, but IBM has not disclosed the faulty token-validation or authorization operation. A low-privileged account and a crafted administrative request are required; successful exploitation compromises application-server data and operation.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability3.12%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in IBM WebSphere Application Server traditional 7.0, 8.0, 8.5, and 9.0 allows remote authenticated users to gain privileges. The SOAP connector accepts token-based authentication for an administrative request, but IBM has not disclosed the faulty token-validation or authorization operation. A low-privileged account and a crafted administrative request are required; successful exploitation compromises application-server data and operation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-4276
Published
Mar 26, 2020
Updated
Sep 17, 2024
Vendor
IBM
Product
IBM WebSphere Application Server
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 26, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 17, 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?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=7.0
  2. Affected versionversion=8.0
  3. Affected versionversion=8.5
  4. Affected versionversion=9.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

IBM · IBM WebSphere Application Serverversion=7.0; version=8.0; version=8.5; version=9.0

Published CVSS scores

7.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.0NIST NVDAV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:P/I:P/A:P
7.5IBM CorporationCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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