CVE-2020-3992
CRITICALCISA KEVEPSS 100th pctlDescription
OpenSLP as used in VMware ESXi (7.0 before ESXi_7.0.1-0.0.16850804, 6.7 before ESXi670-202010401-SG, 6.5 before ESXi650-202010401-SG) has a use-after-free issue. A malicious actor residing in the management network who has access to port 427 on an ESXi machine may be able to trigger a use-after-free in the OpenSLP service resulting in remote code execution.
How to fix
TridentStack Control can deploy fixes like this automatically across your Windows, macOS, and Linux fleet. See how it works
Remediation is compiled from vendor and distribution security advisories. Always confirm against the linked source for your exact version and platform.
CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Exploit Intelligence
Very high risk: more likely to be exploited than 100% of all known CVEs.
VMware ESXi OpenSLP Use-After-Free Vulnerability
VMware ESXi OpenSLP contains a use-after-free vulnerability that allows an attacker residing in the management network with access to port 427 to perform remote code execution.
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Remediation due: 2022-05-03
Associated with ransomware campaigns
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-416 (Use After Free) vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2019-0708 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | - |
| CVE-2021-31166 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2015-5119 | Critical | 9.8 | 99% | KEV | - |
| CVE-2010-3962 | High | 8.1 | 97% | KEV | - |
| CVE-2015-0313 | Critical | 9.8 | 96% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2017-9798 | High | 7.5 | 95% | - | Fix |
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2025-10-30.