CVE-2020-15909

CVE-2020-15909 is a high-severity vulnerability in Solarwinds N-central 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-384.

Key facts

Description

SolarWinds N-central through 2020.1 allows session hijacking and requires user interaction or physical access. The N-Central JSESSIONID cookie attribute is not checked against multiple sources such as sourceip, MFA claim, etc. as long as the victim stays logged in within N-Central. To take advantage of this, cookie could be stolen and the JSESSIONID can be captured. On its own this is not a surprising result; low security tools allow the cookie to roam from machine to machine. The JSESSION cookie can then be used on the attackers’ workstation by browsing to the victim’s NCentral server URL and replacing the JSESSIONID attribute value by the captured value. Expected behavior would be to check this against a second source and enforce at least a reauthentication or multi factor request as N-Central is a highly privileged service.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-15909?
SolarWinds N-central through 2020.1 allows session hijacking and requires user interaction or physical access. The N-Central JSESSIONID cookie attribute is not checked against multiple sources such as sourceip, MFA claim, etc. as long as the victim stays logged in within N-Central. To take advantage of this, cookie could be stolen and the JSESSIONID can be captured. On its own this is not a surprising result; low security tools allow the cookie to roam from machine to machine. The JSESSION cookie can then be used on the attackers’ workstation by browsing to the victim’s NCentral server URL and replacing the JSESSIONID attribute value by the captured value. Expected behavior would be to check this against a second source and enforce at least a reauthentication or multi factor request as N-Central is a highly privileged service.
How severe is CVE-2020-15909?
CVE-2020-15909 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-15909 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (80th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-15909?
CVE-2020-15909 affects Solarwinds N-central. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-15909?
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-2020-15909 published?
CVE-2020-15909 was published on 2020-10-19 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

More vulnerabilities in Solarwinds N-central

All CVEs affecting Solarwinds N-central →

Other CWE-384 (Session Fixation) vulnerabilities

Browse all CWE-384 (Session Fixation) vulnerabilities →