# CVE-2020-4606: XML external entity in Security Verify Privilege Manager

> A local attacker can exploit an XML External Entity injection flaw in IBM Security Verify Privilege Manager to expose sensitive information or cause denial of service.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.7 (`CVSS:3.0/PR:N/C:L/AC:L/S:C/I:N/AV:L/UI:N/A:L/RC:C/E:U/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:** 8 Jan 2021
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-f33f-4j39-x4gc

## What is CVE-2020-4606?

CVE-2020-4606 is a medium-severity vulnerability in IBM Security Verify Privilege Manager, published on 8 Jan 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM Security Verify Privilege Manager 10.8 is vulnerable to an XML External Entity Injection (XXE) attack when processing XML data. A local attacker could exploit this vulnerability to expose sensitive information or consume memory resources. IBM X-Force ID: 184883.

Weakness: CWE-611 (Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-4606?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Security Verify Privilege Manager.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-4606?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-4606 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-4606 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-4606 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in IBM Security Verify Privilege Manager

- [CVE-2020-4609](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4609/): Memory corruption in Security Verify Privilege Manager (high 7.4)
- [CVE-2020-4610](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4610/): Code injection in Security Verify Privilege Manager (high 7.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-4606 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-4606 is a medium-severity vulnerability in IBM Security Verify Privilege Manager, published on 8 Jan 2021. 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-2020-4606 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM Security Verify Privilege Manager. 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-2020-4606/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4606/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-4606
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-4606
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-4606

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4606/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.