CVE-2020-4509Network attack vector

Sensitive data disclosure or memory exhaustion via XXE

Published Jun 4, 2020 · Updated Sep 16, 2024

XXE in the SDEE protocol for IBM QRadar SIEM 7.3 and 7.4 allows remote authenticated users to read sensitive data or exhaust memory. The SDEE protocol processes attacker-supplied XML without sufficiently restricting external entity resolution. Exploitation requires high privileges and can disclose sensitive information or interrupt service through memory exhaustion.

CVSS severity7.6
High
EPSS probability1.53%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

XXE in the SDEE protocol for IBM QRadar SIEM 7.3 and 7.4 allows remote authenticated users to read sensitive data or exhaust memory. The SDEE protocol processes attacker-supplied XML without sufficiently restricting external entity resolution. Exploitation requires high privileges and can disclose sensitive information or interrupt service through memory exhaustion.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-4509
Published
Jun 4, 2020
Updated
Sep 16, 2024
Vendor
IBM
Product
QRadar SIEM
Classifications
CWE-611
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 4, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 16, 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=7.3
  2. Affected versionversion=7.4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

IBM · QRadar SIEMversion=7.3; version=7.4

Published CVSS scores

7.6NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:L
6.4NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:N/A:P
7.6IBMCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:L

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.

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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-611Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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