# CVE-2020-8300: Auth bypass in Citrix ADC, Citrix Gateway

> Attackers can hijack SAML sessions via phishing to steal user access if Citrix ADC is configured as a SAML SP or IdP.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 16 Jun 2021
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-pq9q-4fcv-7rvj

## What is CVE-2020-8300?

CVE-2020-8300 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Citrix ADC, Citrix Gateway, published on 16 Jun 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Citrix ADC and Citrix/NetScaler Gateway before 13.0-82.41, 12.1-62.23, 11.1-65.20 and Citrix ADC 12.1-FIPS before 12.1-55.238 suffer from improper access control allowing SAML authentication hijack through a phishing attack to steal a valid user session. Note that Citrix ADC or Citrix Gateway must be configured as a SAML SP or a SAML IdP for this to be possible.

Weakness: CWE-284 (Improper Access Control)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-8300?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Citrix Application Delivery Controller Firmware, Citrix Gateway, Citrix Netscaler Gateway.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-8300?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-8300 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-8300 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-8300 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- Detect Citrix ADC SAML action or SAML iDP Profile config vulnerable to CVE-2020-8300 using Citrix ADC NITRO API (github_poc): https://github.com/stuartcarroll/CitrixADC-CVE-2020-8300

## Other vulnerabilities in Citrix ADC, Citrix Gateway

- [CVE-2022-27518](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-27518/): Citrix Application Delivery Controller (ADC) and Gateway Authentication Bypass (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2019-19781](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-19781/): Citrix ADC, Gateway, and SD-WAN WANOP Appliance Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-8193](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8193/): Citrix ADC, Gateway, and SD-WAN WANOP Appliance Authorization Bypass (medium 6.5, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-8195](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8195/): Citrix ADC, Gateway, and SD-WAN WANOP Appliance Information Disclosure (medium 6.5, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-8196](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8196/): Citrix ADC, Gateway, and SD-WAN WANOP Appliance Information Disclosure (medium 4.3, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-8300 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-8300 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Citrix ADC, Citrix Gateway, published on 16 Jun 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-8300 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Citrix ADC, Citrix Gateway. 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-2020-8300/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8300/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-8300
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-8300
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-8300

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8300/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.