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Command CentreApplication · Gallagher

CVE-2020-16098

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-09-15
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 8.00.1228 / 8.10.1211 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
It is possible to enumerate access card credentials via an unauthenticated network connection to the server in versions of Command Centre v8.20 prior to v8.20.1166(MR3), versions of 8.10 prior to v8.10.1211(MR5), versions of 8.00 prior to v8.00.1228(MR6), all versions of 7.90 and earlier. These credentials can then be used to encode low security cards to be used by the system where insecure card technologies are supported.

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 · high confidence

An unauthenticated network vulnerability in Gallagher Command Centre allows remote attackers to enumerate access card credentials through the network. These credentials can then be used to encode low-security cards that the system will accept where insecure card technologies are supported.

MitigationUpgrade Command Centre to v8.20.1166(MR3), v8.10.1211(MR5), or v8.00.1228(MR6) or later. Additionally, restrict network access to the server and disable support for low-security card technologies where possible.

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
Command CentreApplication
Affected:>= 8.00, < 8.00.1228>= 8.10, < 8.10.1211>= 8.20, < 8.20.1166>= 8.30, < 8.30.1236= 8.00.1228= 8.10.1211= 8.20.1166= 8.30.1236

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Command Centre version
    Check the installed Gallagher Command Centre version. On Windows, open Programs and Features and locate Gallagher Command Centre, or check the server application login screen for the version display.
    Affected if Installed version is 8.00 through 8.00.1228, 8.10 through 8.10.1211, 8.20 through 8.20.1166, or 8.30 through 8.30.1236 (including those exact versions)
  2. Confirm version is patched
    Compare your installed version against the vulnerable ranges. Note that versions 8.00.1228, 8.10.1211, 8.20.1166, and 8.30.1236 are also affected as they contain incomplete fixes.
    Affected if Installed version is earlier than 8.00.1229, 8.10.1212, 8.20.1167, or 8.30.1237 respectively (or falls within the vulnerable ranges)
  3. Assess network exposure
    Review firewall rules and network segmentation to determine if the Command Centre server is directly accessible from untrusted networks. Check if Gallagher server ports (typically 80/443 or proprietary ports) are exposed to the internet or untrusted VLANs.
    Affected if Command Centre server is reachable from untrusted networks without VPN or proper network isolation
  4. Check for low-security card technology support
    In Command Centre, navigate to the card format or controller configuration section and review which card technologies are enabled. Look for legacy or low-security card formats (such as certain proximity or proprietary formats).
    Affected if Low-security card technologies are enabled in the system configuration
  5. Review authentication logs
    Examine Command Centre audit logs for any suspicious patterns of authentication attempts, particularly repeated queries that could indicate card credential enumeration from external sources.
    Affected if Logs show unexplained external attempts to query card credentials or authentication endpoints

You are affected if your Command Centre version is within the vulnerable ranges AND the server is network-accessible AND (optionally) low-security card technologies are enabled, allowing the enumerated credentials to be exploited.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 8.00.1228 / 8.10.1211 / 8.20.1166 or later
Fixed in 8.00.12288.10.12118.20.1166
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Command Centre to v8.20.1166(MR3), v8.10.1211(MR5), or v8.00.1228(MR6) or later. Additionally, restrict network access to the server and disable support for low-security card technologies where possible.

Recommended fix High confidence

8.00.1228 (MR6), 8.10.1211 (MR5), 8.20.1166 (MR3), or 8.30.1236 depending on version branch in use

  1. 1. Identify the currently installed Command Centre version by checking the server or using the Command Centre administration interface.
  2. 2. Determine which version branch is in use (8.00.x, 8.10.x, 8.20.x, or 8.30.x).
  3. 3. For Command Centre 8.00.x: upgrade to version 8.00.1228 (MR6) or later.
  4. 4. For Command Centre 8.10.x: upgrade to version 8.10.1211 (MR5) or later.
  5. 5. For Command Centre 8.20.x: upgrade to version 8.20.1166 (MR3) or later.
  6. 6. For Command Centre 8.30.x: upgrade to version 8.30.1236 or later.
  7. 7. After upgrading, verify the installation and test authentication functionality.
  8. 8. Review system logs to ensure no unauthorized access occurred prior to the upgrade.
Caveat Review Gallagher release notes for your specific version branch to check for any configuration or feature changes between your current version and the fixed release

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Command Centre Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-16098 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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