CVE-2023-20878Network attack vector

Administrative command execution via unsafe deserialization

Published May 12, 2023 · Updated Jan 27, 2025

Deserialization in VMware Aria Operations 8.10.x and 8.6.x allows remote authenticated users with administrative privileges to execute commands. VMware has not disclosed which component deserializes attacker-controlled data or the operation that fails to validate it. Administrative application access is required, and successful exploitation can alter or expose data and interrupt the appliance.

CVSS severity6.6
Medium
EPSS probability1.00%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Deserialization in VMware Aria Operations 8.10.x and 8.6.x allows remote authenticated users with administrative privileges to execute commands. VMware has not disclosed which component deserializes attacker-controlled data or the operation that fails to validate it. Administrative application access is required, and successful exploitation can alter or expose data and interrupt the appliance.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-20878
Published
May 12, 2023
Updated
Jan 27, 2025
Vendor
VMware
Product
VMware Aria Operations
Classifications
CWE-502, T1059
Attack vector
network
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 12, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 27, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=VMware Aria Operations prior to 8.12

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

VMware · VMware Aria Operationsversion=VMware Aria Operations prior to 8.12

Published CVSS scores

6.6VMwareCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.2NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-502Deserialization of Untrusted Data
T1059Command and Scripting Interpreter

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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