# CVE-2023-20878: Deserialization in VMware Aria Operations (formerly vRealize Operations)

> Administrative users can execute arbitrary commands and disrupt the system via a deserialization flaw in VMware Aria Operations.

- **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:** 12 May 2023
- **Updated:** 27 Jan 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6xfq-86q7-v85v

## What is CVE-2023-20878?

CVE-2023-20878 is a high-severity unsafe deserialization vulnerability in Vmware Cloud Foundation, published on 12 May 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

VMware Aria Operations contains a deserialization vulnerability. A malicious actor with administrative privileges can execute arbitrary commands and disrupt the system.

Weakness: CWE-502 (Deserialization of Untrusted Data)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-20878?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Vmware Cloud Foundation, Vmware Vrealize Operations.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-20878?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-20878 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-20878 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-20878 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Vmware Cloud Foundation

- [CVE-2024-38812](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38812/): VMware vCenter Server Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-37079](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-37079/): Broadcom VMware vCenter Server Out-of-bounds Write (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-22954](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-22954/): VMware Workspace ONE Access and Identity Manager Server-Side Template Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-22005](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-22005/): VMware vCenter Server File Upload (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-21985](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-21985/): VMware vCenter Server Improper Input Validation (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-20878 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-20878 is a high-severity unsafe deserialization vulnerability in Vmware Cloud Foundation, published on 12 May 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-20878 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-2023-20878/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20878/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-20878
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-20878
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-20878

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20878/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.