# CVE-2023-20855: XML external entity in VMware vRealize Orchestrator, VMware vRealize Automation, VMware Cloud Foundation

> A malicious actor with non-administrative access can exploit an XXE vulnerability to access sensitive information or escalate privileges.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 21 Feb 2023
- **Updated:** 17 Mar 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-3hq4-5qpg-7776

## What is CVE-2023-20855?

CVE-2023-20855 is a high-severity vulnerability in VMware vRealize Orchestrator, VMware vRealize Automation, VMware Cloud Foundation, published on 21 Feb 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

VMware vRealize Orchestrator contains an XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability. A malicious actor, with non-administrative access to vRealize Orchestrator, may be able to use specially crafted input to bypass XML parsing restrictions leading to access to sensitive information or possible escalation of privileges.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-20855?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Vmware Vrealize Automation, Vmware Vrealize Orchestrator.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-20855?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-20855 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-20855 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-20855 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in VMware vRealize Orchestrator, VMware vRealize Automation, VMware Cloud Foundation

- [CVE-2018-6959](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-6959/): Auth bypass in vRealize Automation (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-4947](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-4947/): Deserialization in vRealize Automation (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-5336](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5336/): VMware vRealize Automation 7.0.x before 7.1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors. (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-7460](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-7460/): XML external entity in n/a (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2021-22036](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-22036/): Open redirect in VMware vRealize Orchestrator (medium 6.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-20855 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-20855 is a high-severity vulnerability in VMware vRealize Orchestrator, VMware vRealize Automation, VMware Cloud Foundation, published on 21 Feb 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-20855 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: VMware vRealize Orchestrator, VMware vRealize Automation, VMware Cloud Foundation. 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-2023-20855/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20855/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-20855
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-20855
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-20855

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20855/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.