CVE-2020-10148
Auth Bypass in Solarwinds Orion Platform 2019.4 … 2020.2.1
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2020-10148 is a critical-severity Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel (CWE-288) vulnerability in Solarwinds Orion Platform. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Data Obfuscation (T1001); ranked in the top 0.2% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
The vulnerability is an authentication bypass in the SolarWinds Orion API, tracked as CVE-2020-10148 with CVSS score 9.8. It affects the SolarWinds Orion Platform in versions 2019.4 HF 5, 2020.2 without hotfix, and 2020.2 HF 1, and is associated with CWE-288 and CWE-306. The flaw permits remote attackers to issue API commands without valid credentials, which can lead to full compromise of the SolarWinds instance.
An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit the weakness over the network to bypass authentication controls and directly execute arbitrary API operations. Successful exploitation grants the attacker the ability to read, modify, or delete data and configuration settings within the Orion environment, potentially resulting in complete control of the monitoring platform and any connected systems.
SolarWinds has published a security advisory detailing the issue, and the CERT Coordination Center has released vulnerability note VU#843464 that references the same advisory and affected versions. These sources direct administrators to apply vendor-supplied hotfixes or upgrade to a patched release to eliminate the authentication bypass.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2020-2611
Vulnerability Data
The SolarWinds Orion API is vulnerable to an authentication bypass that could allow a remote attacker to execute API commands. This vulnerability could allow a remote attacker to bypass authentication and execute API commands which may result in a compromise…
more
of the SolarWinds instance. SolarWinds Orion Platform versions 2019.4 HF 5, 2020.2 with no hotfix installed, and 2020.2 HF 1 are affected.
- CWE(s)
- KEV Date Added
- 03 November 2021
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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- 13 hardening rules · 4 OS baselines
V6.4.3V6.6.1V12.1.3V6.2.3
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Mandates additional authentication for access under defined conditions, ensuring critical or high-risk functions are not left without authentication.
Identity providers mandate authentication for functions that would otherwise lack it.
Requires authentication for non-organizational users, preventing access to critical functions without proper identification and authentication.
Requires established identification and authentication to unlock, mitigating missing authentication for continued system access.
Requiring identification and rationale for actions allowed without authentication ensures critical functions are not left unprotected by forcing review of authentication requirements.
Authorizing remote access reduces the ability to bypass authentication via unauthorized alternate remote channels.
Authorizing mobile device connections to organizational systems ensures authentication is performed for this critical access function.
Guarantees critical functions are protected by mandatory invocation of the access control mechanism.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Managing identities and credentials is a prerequisite for authentication but does not itself enforce it on critical functions.
Requiring authentication on every channel and path directly eliminates alternate-path bypasses.
Enforcing authorizations and least privilege across all access vectors prevents unauthenticated alternate paths.
Protecting networks and environments from unauthorized logical access blocks bypass via undocumented channels.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
A.5.15 only requires defining a topic-specific access control policy and determining requirements; it does not itself enforce, implement or configure any access rules that would stop an alternate unauthenticated path from being exploitable.
Access rights provisioning and review prevent bypass via unmonitored or alternate channels.
Mandating authentication requirements for critical functions at the requirements-gathering stage ensures that essential operations are not left unprotected by missing login or verification mechanisms.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (higher-evidence rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).
Oracle Linux 8 (3 rules)
- V-248598 There must be no ".shosts" files on the OL 8 operating system. blocks CWE-288
- V-248827 OL 8 must not have the rsh-server package installed. blocks CWE-288, CWE-306
- V-248585 OL 8 must require reauthentication when using the "sudo" command. blocks CWE-306
Oracle Linux 9 (2 rules)
- V-271757 OL 9 file systems must not contain shosts.equiv files. blocks CWE-288
- V-271758 OL 9 file systems must not contain .shosts files. blocks CWE-288
RHEL 7 (4 rules)
- V-204440 Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating systems version 7.2 or newer using Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) must require authentication upon booting into single-user and maintenance modes. blocks CWE-288
- V-204442 The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must not have the rsh-server package installed. blocks CWE-288, CWE-306
- V-204424 The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must not allow accounts configured with blank or null passwords. blocks CWE-288
RHEL 8 (2 rules)
- V-230492 RHEL 8 must not have the rsh-server package installed. blocks CWE-306
- V-237643 RHEL 8 must require re-authentication when using the "sudo" command. blocks CWE-306