# CVE-2023-20865: Command injection in VMware Aria Operations for Logs (formerly vRealize Log Insight)

> Administrative users can execute arbitrary root commands in VMware Aria Operations for Logs, requiring immediate patching.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 20 Apr 2023
- **Updated:** 5 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-3frw-92jp-g6w8

## What is CVE-2023-20865?

CVE-2023-20865 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Vmware Cloud Foundation, published on 20 Apr 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

VMware Aria Operations for Logs contains a command injection vulnerability. A malicious actor with administrative privileges in VMware Aria Operations for Logs can execute arbitrary commands as root.

Weakness: CWE-77 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-20865?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Vmware Aria Operations for Logs, Vmware Cloud Foundation.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-20865?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-20865 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-20865 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-20865 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Vmware Cloud Foundation

- [CVE-2023-34051](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-34051/): Auth bypass in VMware Aria Operations for Logs (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-20864](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20864/): Deserialization in VMware Aria Operations for Logs (formerly vRealize Log Insight) (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2025-22218](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-22218/): VMware Aria Operations for Logs information disclosure vulnerability (high 8.5)
- [CVE-2023-34052](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-34052/): Deserialization in VMware Aria Operations for Logs (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2025-22219](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-22219/): VMware Aria Operations for Logs stored cross-site scripting vulnerability (CVE-2025-22219) (medium 6.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-20865 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-20865 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Vmware Cloud Foundation, published on 20 Apr 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-20865 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: 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-2023-20865/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20865/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-20865
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-20865
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-20865

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20865/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.