How severe is CVE-2020-3950?

CVE-2020-3950 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-2020-3950 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2020-3950 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2021-11-03, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-3950?

CVE-2020-3950 primarily affects Vmware Fusion. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-3950?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.

Does CVE-2020-3950 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2020-3950 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2020-25215. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2021-11-03).

When was CVE-2020-3950 published?

CVE-2020-3950 was published on 2020-03-17 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-3950

CVE-2020-3950 is a high-severity vulnerability in Vmware Fusion with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming it has been exploited in the wild (added 2021-11-03). The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-269.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 7% (94th percentile)
Actively exploited: Yes — listed in CISA KEV (added 2021-11-03)
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2020-25215
EU exploitation: Flagged exploited in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (since 2021-11-03)
Weakness: CWE-269
Affected product: Vmware Fusion
Published: 2020-03-17
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

VMware Fusion (11.x before 11.5.2), VMware Remote Console for Mac (11.x and prior before 11.0.1) and Horizon Client for Mac (5.x and prior before 5.4.0) contain a privilege escalation vulnerability due to improper use of setuid binaries. Successful exploitation of this issue may allow attackers with normal user privileges to escalate their privileges to root on the system where Fusion, VMRC or Horizon Client is installed.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-3950?: VMware Fusion (11.x before 11.5.2), VMware Remote Console for Mac (11.x and prior before 11.0.1) and Horizon Client for Mac (5.x and prior before 5.4.0) contain a privilege escalation vulnerability due to improper use of setuid binaries. Successful exploitation of this issue may allow attackers with normal user privileges to escalate their privileges to root on the system where Fusion, VMRC or Horizon Client is installed.
How severe is CVE-2020-3950?: CVE-2020-3950 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-2020-3950 being actively exploited?: Yes. CVE-2020-3950 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2021-11-03, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-3950?: CVE-2020-3950 primarily affects Vmware Fusion. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-3950?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.
Does CVE-2020-3950 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2020-3950 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2020-25215. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2021-11-03).
When was CVE-2020-3950 published?: CVE-2020-3950 was published on 2020-03-17 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:a:vmware:fusion:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:horizon_client:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:remote_console:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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