# CVE-2020-4516: Cross-site scripting in Business Automation Workflow

> Attackers can inject JavaScript into the Web UI to steal credentials from trusted sessions in IBM Business Process Manager and Automation Workflow.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.4 (`CVSS:3.0/I:L/PR:L/A:N/UI:R/AC:L/S:C/C:L/AV:N/RC:C/RL:O/E:H`)
- **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:** 8 Sep 2020
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-fpqw-rp77-mwjr

## What is CVE-2020-4516?

CVE-2020-4516 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Ibm Business Automation Workflow, published on 8 Sep 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

IBM Business Process Manager 8.5, 8.6 and IBM Business Automation Workflow 18.0, 19.0, and 20.0 are vulnerable to cross-site scripting. This vulnerability allows users to embed arbitrary JavaScript code in the Web UI thus altering the intended functionality potentially leading to credentials disclosure within a trusted session. IBM X-Force ID: 182371.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-4516?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Ibm Business Automation Workflow, Ibm Business Process Manager.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-4516?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-4516 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-4516 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-4516 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Ibm Business Automation Workflow

- [CVE-2022-43864](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-43864/): IBM Business Automation Workflow information disclosure (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2025-13096](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-13096/): XML eXternal Entity injection (XXE) vulnerability affect IBM Business Automation Workflow - (high 7.1)
- [CVE-2019-4424](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-4424/): XML external entity in Business Automation Workflow (high 7.1)
- [CVE-2021-38893](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-38893/): Cross-site scripting in Business Process Manager Standard (medium 6.4)
- [CVE-2021-29834](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-29834/): Cross-site scripting in Business Automation Workflow (medium 6.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-4516 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-4516 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Ibm Business Automation Workflow, published on 8 Sep 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-2020-4516 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Ibm Business Automation Workflow. 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-2020-4516/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4516/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-4516
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-4516
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-4516

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4516/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.