# CVE-2020-4205: Auth bypass in DataPower Gateway

> Authenticated users can bypass security restrictions and maintain access after certificate revocation in IBM DataPower Gateway.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.0 (`CVSS:3.0/S:U/PR:L/AC:H/AV:N/A:L/I:L/C:L/UI:N/E:U/RC:C/RL:O`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 19 Mar 2020
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-xcrr-2639-rr7x

## What is CVE-2020-4205?

CVE-2020-4205 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Ibm Datapower Gateway, published on 19 Mar 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM DataPower Gateway 2018.4.1.0 through 2018.4.1.8 could allow an authenticated user to bypass security restrictions, and continue to access the server even after authentication certificates have been revolked. IBM X-Force ID: 174961.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-4205?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Datapower Gateway.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-4205?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-4205 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-4205 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-4205 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Ibm Datapower Gateway

- [CVE-2026-14269](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-14269/): IBM DataPower Gateway Buffer Overflow (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-14502](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-14502/): IBM DataPower Gateway Improper Authentication (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-14991](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-14991/): IBM DataPower Gateway Out-of-bounds Write (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-14992](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-14992/): IBM DataPower Gateway Out-of-bounds Write (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-15762](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-15762/): IBM DataPower Gateway Out-of-bounds Write (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-4205 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-4205 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Ibm Datapower Gateway, published on 19 Mar 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-4205 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Ibm Datapower Gateway. 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-2020-4205/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4205/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-4205
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-4205
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-4205

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4205/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.