# CVE-2020-3975: Cross-site scripting in VMware App Volumes

> Attackers with application creation privileges can inject malicious scripts executed in victims' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking or data theft.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 21 Aug 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-72vg-99qh-3ghw

## What is CVE-2020-3975?

CVE-2020-3975 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in VMware App Volumes, published on 21 Aug 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

VMware App Volumes 2.x prior to 2.18.6 and VMware App Volumes 4 prior to 2006 contain a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability. A malicious actor with access to create and edit applications or create storage groups, may be able to inject malicious script which will be executed by a victim's browser when viewing.

Weakness: CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-3975?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Vmware App Volumes.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-3975?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-3975 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-3975 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-3975 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in VMware App Volumes

- [CVE-2021-21999](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-21999/): Privilege escalation in VMware Tools for Windows, VMware Remote Console for Windows and VMware App Volumes (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-3975 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-3975 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in VMware App Volumes, published on 21 Aug 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-3975 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: VMware App Volumes. 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-2020-3975/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3975/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-3975
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-3975
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-3975

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3975/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.