# CVE-2020-8956: Information disclosure in n/a

> Attackers can reveal user passwords if the Save Settings feature is enabled in the Pulse Secure Desktop Client.

- **Severity:** Low 3.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AC:L/AV:L/A:N/C:L/I:N/PR:L/S:C/UI:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 27 Oct 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-rw4x-mrcc-6rwp

## What is CVE-2020-8956?

CVE-2020-8956 is a low-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 27 Oct 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Pulse Secure Desktop Client 9.0Rx before 9.0R5 and 9.1Rx before 9.1R4 on Windows reveals users' passwords if Save Settings is enabled.

Weakness: CWE-521 (Weak Password Requirements)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-8956?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Pulsesecure Pulse Secure Desktop.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-8956?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-8956 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-8956 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2020-8956 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Windows Pulse Secure Connect Client Saved Password Extractor (metasploit)

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2018-7572](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-7572/): Auth bypass in n/a (medium 6.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-8956 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-8956 is a low-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 27 Oct 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2020-8956 exists.

Affected product: n/a. 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-2020-8956/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8956/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-8956
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-8956
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-8956

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8956/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.