# CVE-2020-3950: VMware Multiple Products Privilege Escalation

> Attackers with normal user privileges can escalate to root on systems running VMware Fusion, VMRC, or Horizon Client for Mac due to improper setuid binary usage.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 3 Nov 2021 (CISA KEV)
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 17 Mar 2020
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-fx3w-hj7j-hfgf

## What is CVE-2020-3950?

CVE-2020-3950 is a high-severity vulnerability in Vmware Fusion, published on 17 Mar 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

VMware Fusion (11.x before 11.5.2), VMware Remote Console for Mac (11.x and prior before 11.0.1) and Horizon Client for Mac (5.x and prior before 5.4.0) contain a privilege escalation vulnerability due to improper use of setuid binaries. Successful exploitation of this issue may allow attackers with normal user privileges to escalate their privileges to root on the system where Fusion, VMRC or Horizon Client is installed.

Weakness: CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-3950?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Vmware Fusion, Vmware Horizon Client, Vmware Remote Console.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-3950?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-3950 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 3 May 2022.

## Is CVE-2020-3950 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2020-3950 in the wild since at least 3 Nov 2021.

Public exploit code:

- VMware Fusion USB Arbitrator Setuid Privilege Escalation (metasploit)
- VMware Fusion 11.5.2 - Privilege Escalation (exploitdb)
- VMware Fusion - USB Arbitrator Setuid Privilege Escalation (Metasploit) (exploitdb)
- VMware Fusion - USB Arbitrator Setuid Privilege Escalation (Metasploit) (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in Vmware Fusion

- [CVE-2017-4901](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-4901/): Memory corruption in Fusion Pro / Fusion (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2024-22267](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-22267/): Use after free in VMware Fusion (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2019-5541](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5541/): Memory corruption in Workstation and Fusion (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2024-38811](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38811/): Code-execution vulnerability (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2023-20872](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20872/): Memory corruption in VMware Workstation Pro / Player (Workstation) and VMware Fusion (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-3950 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-3950 is a high-severity vulnerability in Vmware Fusion, published on 17 Mar 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2020-3950 in the wild since at least 3 Nov 2021.

Affected product: Vmware Fusion. 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-2020-3950/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3950/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-3950
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-3950
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-3950

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3950/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.