How severe is CVE-2018-20735?

CVE-2018-20735 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-20735 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 7% (94th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-20735?

CVE-2018-20735 affects Bmc Patrol Agent. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-20735?

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-2018-20735 published?

CVE-2018-20735 was published on 2019-01-17 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-20735

CVE-2018-20735 is a high-severity vulnerability in Bmc Patrol Agent with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. 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-287.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 7% (94th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-287
Affected product: Bmc Patrol Agent
Published: 2019-01-17
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in BMC PATROL Agent through 11.3.01. It was found that the PatrolCli application can allow for lateral movement and escalation of privilege inside a Windows Active Directory environment. It was found that by default the PatrolCli / PATROL Agent application only verifies if the password provided for the given username is correct; it does not verify the permissions of the user on the network. This means if you have PATROL Agent installed on a high value target (domain controller), you can use a low privileged domain user to authenticate with PatrolCli and then connect to the domain controller and run commands as SYSTEM. This means any user on a domain can escalate to domain admin through PATROL Agent. NOTE: the vendor disputes this because they believe it is adequate to prevent this escalation by means of a custom, non-default configuration

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-20735?: An issue was discovered in BMC PATROL Agent through 11.3.01. It was found that the PatrolCli application can allow for lateral movement and escalation of privilege inside a Windows Active Directory environment. It was found that by default the PatrolCli / PATROL Agent application only verifies if the password provided for the given username is correct; it does not verify the permissions of the user on the network. This means if you have PATROL Agent installed on a high value target (domain controller), you can use a low privileged domain user to authenticate with PatrolCli and then connect to the domain controller and run commands as SYSTEM. This means any user on a domain can escalate to domain admin through PATROL Agent. NOTE: the vendor disputes this because they believe it is adequate to prevent this escalation by means of a custom, non-default configuration
How severe is CVE-2018-20735?: CVE-2018-20735 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-20735 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 7% (94th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-20735?: CVE-2018-20735 affects Bmc Patrol Agent. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-20735?: 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-2018-20735 published?: CVE-2018-20735 was published on 2019-01-17 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:bmc:patrol_agent:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Bmc Patrol Agent

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CVE-2023-34257 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue was discovered in BMC Patrol through 23.1.00. The agent's configuration can be remotely modified (and, by…
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CVE-2020-35593 — High (CVSS 7.8): BMC PATROL Agent through 20.08.00 allows local privilege escalation via vectors involving pconfig +RESTART -host.

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