How severe is CVE-2018-20193?

CVE-2018-20193 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-20193 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (67th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-20193?

CVE-2018-20193 primarily affects Pulsesecure Secure Access Series Ssl Vpn Sa-4000. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-20193?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2018-20193 published?

CVE-2018-20193 was published on 2018-12-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-20193

CVE-2018-20193 is a high-severity vulnerability in Pulsesecure Secure Access Series Ssl Vpn Sa-4000 with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-269.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
CVSS v2: 4.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (67th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-269
Affected product: Pulsesecure Secure Access Series Ssl Vpn Sa-4000
Published: 2018-12-21
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Certain Secure Access SA Series SSL VPN products (originally developed by Juniper Networks but now sold and supported by Pulse Secure, LLC) allow privilege escalation, as demonstrated by Secure Access SSL VPN SA-4000 5.1R5 (build 9627) 4.2 Release (build 7631). This occurs because appropriate controls are not performed. Specifically, it is possible for a readonly user to change the administrator user password by making a local copy of the /dana-admin/user/update.cgi page, changing the "user" value, and saving the changes.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-20193?: Certain Secure Access SA Series SSL VPN products (originally developed by Juniper Networks but now sold and supported by Pulse Secure, LLC) allow privilege escalation, as demonstrated by Secure Access SSL VPN SA-4000 5.1R5 (build 9627) 4.2 Release (build 7631). This occurs because appropriate controls are not performed. Specifically, it is possible for a readonly user to change the administrator user password by making a local copy of the /dana-admin/user/update.cgi page, changing the "user" value, and saving the changes.
How severe is CVE-2018-20193?: CVE-2018-20193 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-20193 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (67th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-20193?: CVE-2018-20193 primarily affects Pulsesecure Secure Access Series Ssl Vpn Sa-4000. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-20193?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2018-20193 published?: CVE-2018-20193 was published on 2018-12-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:secure_access_series_ssl_vpn_sa-4000:4.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:secure_access_series_ssl_vpn_sa-4000:5.1r5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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