CVE-2020-4979

Command execution via spoofed inter-host traffic

Published May 5, 2021 · Updated Sep 17, 2024

Command execution in IBM QRadar SIEM 7.3 and 7.4 allows attackers to run arbitrary commands by spoofing inter-host traffic. IBM identifies insecure inter-deployment communication but has not published the affected protocol, component, or faulty operation. Reachability requires the ability to compromise or spoof traffic between deployment hosts; successful exploitation executes commands on the target host.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability1.60%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Command execution in IBM QRadar SIEM 7.3 and 7.4 allows attackers to run arbitrary commands by spoofing inter-host traffic. IBM identifies insecure inter-deployment communication but has not published the affected protocol, component, or faulty operation. Reachability requires the ability to compromise or spoof traffic between deployment hosts; successful exploitation executes commands on the target host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-4979
Published
May 5, 2021
Updated
Sep 17, 2024
Vendor
IBM
Product
QRadar SIEM
Classifications
T1059
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 5, 2021CVE 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=7.3
  2. Affected versionversion=7.4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

IBM · QRadar SIEMversion=7.3; version=7.4

Published CVSS scores

7.5IBM CorporationCVSS:3.0/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
9.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.5NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectoradjacent
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1059Command and Scripting Interpreter

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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