How severe is CVE-2023-20900?

CVE-2023-20900 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over an adjacent network with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2023-20900 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (64th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-20900?

CVE-2023-20900 primarily affects Vmware Tools. In total, 9 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-20900?

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-2023-20900 published?

CVE-2023-20900 was published on 2023-08-31 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-20900

CVE-2023-20900 is a high-severity vulnerability in Vmware Tools with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1. 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-294.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.1)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (64th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-294
Affected product: Vmware Tools
Published: 2023-08-31
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A malicious actor that has been granted Guest Operation Privileges https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/8.0/vsphere-security/GUID-6A952214-0E5E-4CCF-9D2A-90948FF643EC.html in a target virtual machine may be able to elevate their privileges if that target virtual machine has been assigned a more privileged Guest Alias https://vdc-download.vmware.com/vmwb-repository/dcr-public/d1902b0e-d479-46bf-8ac9-cee0e31e8ec0/07ce8dbd-db48-4261-9b8f-c6d3ad8ba472/vim.vm.guest.AliasManager.html .

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-20900?: A malicious actor that has been granted Guest Operation Privileges https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/8.0/vsphere-security/GUID-6A952214-0E5E-4CCF-9D2A-90948FF643EC.html in a target virtual machine may be able to elevate their privileges if that target virtual machine has been assigned a more privileged Guest Alias https://vdc-download.vmware.com/vmwb-repository/dcr-public/d1902b0e-d479-46bf-8ac9-cee0e31e8ec0/07ce8dbd-db48-4261-9b8f-c6d3ad8ba472/vim.vm.guest.AliasManager.html .
How severe is CVE-2023-20900?: CVE-2023-20900 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over an adjacent network with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2023-20900 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (64th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-20900?: CVE-2023-20900 primarily affects Vmware Tools. In total, 9 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-20900?: 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-2023-20900 published?: CVE-2023-20900 was published on 2023-08-31 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (9)

cpe:2.3:a:vmware:tools:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:open_vm_tools:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:37:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:38:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:39:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:12.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:netapp:ontap_select_deploy_administration_utility:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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