HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2023-20900
HIGH

CVE-2023-20900

CWE-294Published: August 31, 2023· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.5
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

A malicious actor that has been granted Guest Operation Privileges https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/8.0/vsphere-security/GUID-6A952214-0E5E-4CCF-9D2A-90948FF643EC.html  in a target virtual machine may be able to elevate their privileges if that target virtual machine has been assigned a more privileged Guest Alias https://vdc-download.vmware.com/vmwb-repository/dcr-public/d1902b0e-d479-46bf-8ac9-cee0e31e8ec0/07ce8dbd-db48-4261-9b8f-c6d3ad8ba472/vim.vm.guest.AliasManager.html .

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2023-20900 requires adjacent network access, limiting remote exploitation but still posing risk in shared or local network environments.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.5.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorAdjacent
Attack ComplexityHigh
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
Fedora1 product(s)
fedora
Linux1 product(s)
linux kernel
Microsoft1 product(s)
windows
netapp1 product(s)
ontap select deploy administration utility
VMware2 product(s)
toolsopen vm tools
Source: NVD CPE · 11 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

PATCHhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/10/27/1
PATCHhttps://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2023-0019.html
PATCHhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/10/27/1
PATCHhttps://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2023-0019.html
ADVISORYhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/08/31/1
ADVISORYhttps://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20231013-0002/
ADVISORYhttps://www.debian.org/security/2023/dsa-5493
ADVISORYhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/08/31/1
ADVISORYhttps://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20231013-0002/
ADVISORYhttps://www.debian.org/security/2023/dsa-5493

All References (18)

→
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/08/31/1Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/10/27/1Mailing List · Patch
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/10/msg00000.htmlMailing List
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/NVKQ6Y2JFJRWPFOZUOTFO3H27BK5GGOG/Mailing List
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/TJNJMD67QIT6LXLKWSHFM47DCLRSMT6W/Mailing List
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/ZJM6HDRQYS74JA7YNKQBFH2XSZ52HEWH/Mailing List
→
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20231013-0002/Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.debian.org/security/2023/dsa-5493Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2023-0019.htmlPatch · Vendor Advisory
→
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/08/31/1Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/10/27/1Mailing List · Patch
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/10/msg00000.htmlMailing List
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/NVKQ6Y2JFJRWPFOZUOTFO3H27BK5GGOG/Mailing List
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/TJNJMD67QIT6LXLKWSHFM47DCLRSMT6W/Mailing List
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/ZJM6HDRQYS74JA7YNKQBFH2XSZ52HEWH/Mailing List

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2023-20900
CVSS Score7.5 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-294
CISA KEVNo
Affected6 vendor(s)
PublishedAug 31, 2023

Related CVEs (CWE-294)

CVE-2025-49752
10.0
CVE-2023-47435
9.8
CVE-2018-19025
9.8
CVE-2018-17932
9.8
CVE-2022-44457
9.8
CVE-2021-22640
9.8

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2023-20900 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWatch. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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