CVE-2020-12043
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe Baxter Spectrum WBM (v17, v20D29, v20D30, v20D31, and v22D24) when configured for wireless networking the FTP service operating on the WBM remains operational until the WBM is rebooted.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceThe Baxter Spectrum WBM (Wireless Bridge Module) contains an FTP service that, when the device is configured for wireless networking, fails to deactivate and remains operational even after it should be disabled. This improper persistence of the FTP service creates an exploitable attack surface, potentially allowing unauthorized file access or lateral movement within the network.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 8.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the Baxter Spectrum WBM deviceLocate and confirm the presence of the Baxter Spectrum WBM (Wireless Bridge Module) in your environment. Check network documentation or physically locate the device to verify it is a Baxter Spectrum Wireless Bridge Module used with Baxter Sigma Spectrum Infusion Systems.Affected if The device is a Baxter Spectrum WBM and firmware version is 8.0
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Check firmware versionAccess the device management interface or use the vendor-supplied diagnostic tool to query the installed firmware version. Consult device documentation for the specific command or menu to retrieve firmware version information.Affected if Firmware version equals 8.0 exactly
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Determine network configuration modeCheck whether the WBM is configured for wireless networking. This may be visible in the device network settings, management console, or configuration backup files.Affected if The WBM is configured to use wireless networking mode
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Verify FTP service statusAttempt to connect to the WBM on TCP port 21 (standard FTP port) from an authorized management workstation on the same network segment. Use an FTP client or simple network scan to test if the FTP service responds.Affected if FTP service is accessible and responding on the WBM despite being configured for wireless networking where it should be disabled
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Inspect FTP service configurationIf administrative access is available, review the WBM service configuration or startup settings to confirm whether FTP persistence is set to remain enabled when it should deactivate.Affected if FTP service shows as enabled/persistent in the configuration when it should be disabled for wireless networking mode
A user is affected if they have a Baxter Spectrum WBM with firmware version 8.0 configured for wireless networking, and the FTP service remains accessible when it should be disabled.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataDisable or restrict the FTP service on the WBM when not required, and coordinate with Baxter for a vendor-supplied patch to address the service persistence issue. Until patched, network segmentation and monitoring should be employed to mitigate risk.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-12043 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-12043 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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