# CVE-2020-4591: Weak cryptography in Spectrum Protect Server

> Attackers can read sensitive data because the server fails to encrypt the second chunk of objects in encrypted container pools under specific non-default settings.

- **Severity:** Low 2.9 (`CVSS:3.0/A:N/AC:H/C:L/S:U/AV:L/I:N/PR:N/UI:N/E:U/RC:C/RL:O`)
- **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:** 28 Aug 2020
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6xvh-rff7-qx7f

## What is CVE-2020-4591?

CVE-2020-4591 is a low-severity vulnerability in IBM Spectrum Protect Server, published on 28 Aug 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM Spectrum Protect Server 8.1.0.000 through 8.1.10.000 could disclose sensitive information in nondefault settings due to occasionally not encrypting the second chunk of an object in an encrypted container pool. IBM X-Force ID: 184746.

Weakness: CWE-311 (Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-4591?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Spectrum Protect Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-4591?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-4591 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-4591 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-4591 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in IBM Spectrum Protect Server

- [CVE-2025-3319](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-3319/): IBM Spectrum Protect Server authentication bypass (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2022-22487](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-22487/): Auth bypass in Spectrum Protect Server (medium 5.9)
- [CVE-2022-22496](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-22496/): Weak cryptography in Spectrum Protect Server (medium 5.3)
- [CVE-2018-1788](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-1788/): Information disclosure in Spectrum Protect (medium 4.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-4591 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-4591 is a low-severity vulnerability in IBM Spectrum Protect Server, published on 28 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-2020-4591 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM Spectrum Protect Server. 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-2020-4591/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4591/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-4591
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-4591
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-4591

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4591/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.