How severe is CVE-2020-5180?

CVE-2020-5180 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-2020-5180 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (32nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-5180?

CVE-2020-5180 affects Sparklabs Viscosity. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-5180?

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-2020-5180 published?

CVE-2020-5180 was published on 2020-01-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-5180

CVE-2020-5180 is a high-severity vulnerability in Sparklabs Viscosity 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.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 4.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (32nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Affected product: Sparklabs Viscosity
Published: 2020-01-14
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Viscosity 1.8.2 on Windows and macOS allows an unprivileged user to set a subset of OpenVPN parameters, which can be used to load a malicious library into the memory of the OpenVPN process, leading to limited local privilege escalation. (When a VPN connection is initiated using a TLS/SSL client profile, the privileges are dropped, and the library will be loaded, resulting in arbitrary code execution as a user with limited privileges. This greatly reduces the impact of the vulnerability.)

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-5180?: Viscosity 1.8.2 on Windows and macOS allows an unprivileged user to set a subset of OpenVPN parameters, which can be used to load a malicious library into the memory of the OpenVPN process, leading to limited local privilege escalation. (When a VPN connection is initiated using a TLS/SSL client profile, the privileges are dropped, and the library will be loaded, resulting in arbitrary code execution as a user with limited privileges. This greatly reduces the impact of the vulnerability.)
How severe is CVE-2020-5180?: CVE-2020-5180 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-2020-5180 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (32nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-5180?: CVE-2020-5180 affects Sparklabs Viscosity. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-5180?: 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-2020-5180 published?: CVE-2020-5180 was published on 2020-01-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://www.sparklabs.com/blog/viscosity-for-mac-windows-version-1-8-4/

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:sparklabs:viscosity:1.8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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