# CVE-2020-4494: Auth bypass in Spectrum Protect Client (AIX)

> Attackers can bypass authentication in IBM Spectrum Protect web interfaces to access unauthorized resources due to improper session validation.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.0/I:N/A:N/S:U/UI:N/C:H/AC:L/PR:N/AV:N/RL:O/RC:C/E:U`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 15 Jun 2020
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-gww9-rjpc-m25m

## What is CVE-2020-4494?

CVE-2020-4494 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in IBM Spectrum Protect Client (AIX), published on 15 Jun 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM Spectrum Protect Client 8.1.7.0 through 8.1.9.1 (Linux and Windows), 8.1.9.0 trough 8.1.9.1 (AIX) and IBM Spectrum Protect for Space Management 8.1.7.0 through 8.1.9.1 (Linux), 8.1.9.0 through 8.1.9.1 (AIX) web user interfaces could allow an attacker to bypass authentication due to improper session validation which can result in access to unauthorized resources. IBM X-Force ID: 182019.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-4494?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Ibm Spectrum Protect Client, Ibm Spectrum Protect for Space Management.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-4494?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-4494 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-4494 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-4494 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in IBM Spectrum Protect Client (AIX)

- [CVE-2021-29672](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-29672/): Memory corruption in Spectrum Protect for Space Management (high 8.4)
- [CVE-2023-33832](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-33832/): IBM Storage Protect denial of service (medium 6.2)
- [CVE-2022-22478](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-22478/): Information disclosure in Spectrum Protect Client (medium 6.2)
- [CVE-2021-20546](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20546/): Memory corruption in Spectrum Protect for Space Management (medium 6.2)
- [CVE-2022-22474](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-22474/): Denial of service in Spectrum Protect Client (medium 5.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-4494 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-4494 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in IBM Spectrum Protect Client (AIX), published on 15 Jun 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-4494 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM Spectrum Protect Client (AIX). 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-2020-4494/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4494/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-4494
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-4494
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-4494

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4494/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.