# CVE-2020-4587: Memory corruption in Connect:Direct for UNIX

> A local attacker can exploit a stack-based buffer overflow in IBM Sterling Connect:Direct for UNIX to gain root privileges.

- **Severity:** High 8.4 (`CVSS:3.0/A:H/PR:N/C:H/AV:L/S:U/I:H/UI:N/AC:L/RC:C/RL:O/E:U`)
- **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:** 24 Aug 2020
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-qvjf-c3cc-2mpj

## What is CVE-2020-4587?

CVE-2020-4587 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in IBM Connect:Direct for UNIX, published on 24 Aug 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM Sterling Connect:Direct for UNIX 4.2.0, 4.3.0, 6.0.0, and 6.1.0 is vulnerable to a stack based buffer ovreflow, caused by improper bounds checking. A local attacker could manipulate CD UNIX to obtain root provileges. IBM X-Force ID: 184578.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-4587?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Ibm Connect\, Ibm Sterling Connect\.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-4587?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-4587 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-4587 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-4587 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in IBM Connect:Direct for UNIX

- [CVE-2020-4747](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4747/): Auth bypass in Sterling Connect:Direct for UNIX (high 7.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-4587 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-4587 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in IBM Connect:Direct for UNIX, published on 24 Aug 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-2020-4587 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM Connect:Direct for UNIX. 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-2020-4587/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4587/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-4587
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-4587
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-4587

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4587/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.