CVE-2020-16238
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 · uneditedA vulnerability in the configuration import mechanism of the B. Braun Melsungen AG SpaceCom Version L81/U61 and earlier, and the Data module compactplus Versions A10 and A11 allows attackers with command line access to the underlying Linux system to escalate privileges to the root user.
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 confidenceThe vulnerability exists in the configuration import mechanism of B. Braun SpaceCom and Data module compactplus devices. An attacker with existing command-line access to the underlying Linux operating system can exploit the configuration import process to escalate privileges from their current user to root, achieving full system control.
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= a10= a11<= l81CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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.
-
Identify device modelCheck the device label, system information, or boot screen for model number - look for 'SpaceCom' or 'Datamodule Compactplus' brandingAffected if Device is NOT a B. Braun SpaceCom or Datamodule Compactplus - you are not affected
-
Check firmware version on Datamodule CompactplusAccess device system settings or run 'version' command if Linux CLI is available. For Compactplus, look for firmware version a10 or a11Affected if Firmware version is exactly a10 or a11 - you are likely affected
-
Check firmware version on SpaceComAccess device system settings or run 'version' command if Linux CLI is available. For SpaceCom, look for firmware version l81 or lowerAffected if Firmware version is l81 or lower - you are likely affected
-
Verify Linux CLI accessibilityCheck if the underlying Linux command-line interface is accessible via serial connection, SSH, or physical terminal accessAffected if Linux CLI is accessible without additional authentication - combined with affected version, exploitation is possible
-
Check configuration import module statusIf Linux CLI is accessible, examine /proc filesystem or configuration files for the configuration import mechanism - look for import scripts or configuration restore featuresAffected if Configuration import/restore functionality is present and executable by non-root users - vulnerability is present
You are affected if you have a B. Braun SpaceCom (firmware <= l81) or Datamodule Compactplus (firmware a10 or a11) AND the Linux command-line interface is accessible, allowing privilege escalation via the configuration import mechanism.
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 dataApply vendor-supplied firmware updates to address the privilege escalation in the configuration import mechanism. Until patches are available, limit physical and logical access to the device's Linux command line interface and implement network segmentation to reduce exposure.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA6.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $8,320.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-16238 — 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-2020-16238 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data