# CVE-2020-16235: Emerson OpenEnterprise - Inadequate Encryption Strength

> Weak encryption in Emerson OpenEnterprise allows attackers to obtain credentials for accessing field devices and external systems.

- **Severity:** Low 3.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 19 May 2022
- **Updated:** 16 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-ppp5-ggm8-7mmf

## What is CVE-2020-16235?

CVE-2020-16235 is a low-severity vulnerability in Emerson Open Enterprise, published on 19 May 2022. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Inadequate encryption may allow the credentials used by Emerson OpenEnterprise, up through version 3.3.5, to access field devices and external systems to be obtained.

Weakness: CWE-326 (Inadequate Encryption Strength)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-16235?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Emerson Openenterprise Scada Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-16235?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-16235 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-16235 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-16235 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Emerson Open Enterprise

- [CVE-2020-10640](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-10640/): ICSA-20-140-02 Emerson OpenEnterprise (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2020-6970](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-6970/): Memory corruption in OpenEnterprise (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2020-10632](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-10632/): ICSA-20-140-02 Emerson OpenEnterprise (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2020-10636](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-10636/): ICSA-20-140-02 Emerson OpenEnterprise (medium 6.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-16235 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-16235 is a low-severity vulnerability in Emerson Open Enterprise, published on 19 May 2022. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-16235 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Emerson Open Enterprise. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-16235/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-16235/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-16235
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-16235
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-16235

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-16235/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.