How severe is CVE-2020-3980?

CVE-2020-3980 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.7, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-3980 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (20th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-3980?

CVE-2020-3980 affects Vmware Fusion. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-3980?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2020-3980 published?

CVE-2020-3980 was published on 2020-09-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-3980

CVE-2020-3980 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Vmware Fusion with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.7. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.7)
CVSS v2: 3.7
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (20th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Affected product: Vmware Fusion
Published: 2020-09-16
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

VMware Fusion (11.x) contains a privilege escalation vulnerability due to the way it allows configuring the system wide path. An attacker with normal user privileges may exploit this issue to trick an admin user into executing malicious code on the system where Fusion is installed.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-3980?: VMware Fusion (11.x) contains a privilege escalation vulnerability due to the way it allows configuring the system wide path. An attacker with normal user privileges may exploit this issue to trick an admin user into executing malicious code on the system where Fusion is installed.
How severe is CVE-2020-3980?: CVE-2020-3980 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.7, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-3980 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (20th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-3980?: CVE-2020-3980 affects Vmware Fusion. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-3980?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2020-3980 published?: CVE-2020-3980 was published on 2020-09-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2020-0020.html

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:vmware:fusion:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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