CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2020-5396 — Vmware Gemfire security vulnerability

High CVSS 8.8

VMware GemFire versions prior to 9.10.0, 9.9.2, 9.8.7, and 9.7.6, and VMware Tanzu GemFire for VMs versions prior to 1.11.1 and 1.10.2, when deployed without a SecurityManager, contain a JMX service available which contains an insecure default configuration. This allows a malicious user to create an MLet mbean leading to remote code execution.

Severity
High
CVSS
8.8 (3.1)
Published
2020-07-31
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
software/application
Weaknesses
CWE-284, CWE-862

Affected products

  • vmware / gemfire
  • vmware / tanzu_gemfire_for_virtual_machines

Showing 2 representative product identities from 5 source matches. Confirm exact affected versions with the linked vendor and NVD evidence.

Matched remediation archetype

Authorization bypass, IDOR, and cross-tenant access

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Check exposure

  • Map object and action authorization checks across API, UI, batch, import/export, and background-job paths.
  • Identify tenant, ownership, role, and policy boundaries for affected resources and administrative operations.
  • Use synthetic fixtures to compare intended access matrices without accessing another user's real data.

Remediate safely

  • Enforce server-side authorization at each resource access and state transition using the authenticated principal and trusted tenant context.
  • Scope data queries by tenant and ownership; treat client-supplied identifiers, roles, and policy claims as untrusted.
  • Add deny-by-default policy tests for horizontal and vertical access across every affected transport.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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