How severe is CVE-2020-4956?

CVE-2020-4956 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.8, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over an adjacent network with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-4956 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (34th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-4956?

CVE-2020-4956 affects Ibm Spectrum Protect Operations Center. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-4956?

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

When was CVE-2020-4956 published?

CVE-2020-4956 was published on 2021-02-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-4956

CVE-2020-4956 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Ibm Spectrum Protect Operations Center with a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.8. 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-400.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 4.8)
CVSS v2: 2.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (34th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-400
Affected product: Ibm Spectrum Protect Operations Center
Published: 2021-02-15
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

IBM Spectrum Protect Operations Center 7.1 and 8.1 is vulnerable to a denial of service, caused by a RPC that allows certain cache values to be set and dumped to a file. By setting a grossly large cache value and dumping that cached value to a file multiple times, a remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to cause the consumption of all memory resources. IBM X-Force ID: 192156.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-4956?: IBM Spectrum Protect Operations Center 7.1 and 8.1 is vulnerable to a denial of service, caused by a RPC that allows certain cache values to be set and dumped to a file. By setting a grossly large cache value and dumping that cached value to a file multiple times, a remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to cause the consumption of all memory resources. IBM X-Force ID: 192156.
How severe is CVE-2020-4956?: CVE-2020-4956 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.8, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over an adjacent network with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-4956 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (34th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-4956?: CVE-2020-4956 affects Ibm Spectrum Protect Operations Center. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-4956?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2020-4956 published?: CVE-2020-4956 was published on 2021-02-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spectrum_protect_operations_center:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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