CVE-2020-23533
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 · uneditedUnion Pay up to 1.2.0, for web based versions contains a CWE-347: Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature vulnerability, allows attackers to shop for free in merchants' websites and mobile apps, via a crafted authentication code (MAC) which is generated based on a secret key which is NULL.
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 confidenceUnion Pay web versions up to 1.2.0 fail to properly verify cryptographic signatures (MAC) during payment transactions because the secret key used for MAC generation and verification is NULL. Attackers can craft valid-looking authentication codes without knowing any secret key, allowing them to complete purchases without payment.
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<= 1.2.0CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
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 installed versionLocate the Union Pay web application version information in the application metadata, about page, or version configuration file, then compare it against the affected range (all versions <= 1.2.0)Affected if Installed version is 1.2.0 or earlier
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Locate MAC verification configurationFind the payment transaction configuration files or settings where MAC (Message Authentication Code) signature verification is configured for payment transactionsAffected if MAC verification is enabled and in use for payment processing
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Inspect secret key for MAC verificationExamine the cryptographic configuration parameter that stores the secret key used for MAC generation and verification. Check whether it is set to NULL, empty, or a weak/default value rather than a proper secret keyAffected if The MAC secret key is NULL, unset, or empty in the configuration
The environment is affected if the installed Union Pay web version is 1.2.0 or earlier and the MAC signature verification is configured with a NULL or unset secret key.
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 dataImplement proper cryptographic key management by generating, storing, and using a strong secret key for MAC generation/verification. Ensure signature verification logic properly validates the MAC against the correct secret key before approving transactions.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA8.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $11,072.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-23533 — 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-2020-23533 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data