# CVE-2020-4278: Privilege escalation in Spectrum Computing Suite for High Performance Analytics

> Local users can escalate privileges in IBM LSF Suite due to weak file permissions when specific debug settings are enabled.

- **Severity:** High 7.4 (`CVSS:3.0/I:H/C:H/AC:H/A:H/PR:N/S:U/AV:L/UI:N/RL:O/E:U/RC:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 5 Mar 2020
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-9fm6-ffj9-f3wc

## What is CVE-2020-4278?

CVE-2020-4278 is a high-severity vulnerability in IBM Spectrum Computing Suite for High Performance Analytics, published on 5 Mar 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM Platform LSF 9.1 and 10.1, IBM Spectrum LSF Suite 10.2, and IBM Spectrum Suite for HPA 10.2 could allow a local user to escalate their privileges due to weak file permissions when specific debug settings are enabled in a Linux or Unix enviornment. IBM X-Force ID: 176137.

Weakness: CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-4278?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Ibm Platform Lsf, Ibm Spectrum Computing for High Performance Analytics, Ibm Spectrum Lsf.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-4278?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-4278 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-4278 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-4278 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-4278 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-4278 is a high-severity vulnerability in IBM Spectrum Computing Suite for High Performance Analytics, published on 5 Mar 2020. 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-2020-4278 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM Spectrum Computing Suite for High Performance Analytics. 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-2020-4278/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4278/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-4278
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-4278
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-4278

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4278/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.