CVE-2020-27688
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 · uneditedRVToolsPasswordEncryption.exe in RVTools 4.0.6 allows users to encrypt passwords to be used in the configuration files. This encryption used a static IV and key, and thus using the Decrypt() method from VISKD.cs from the RVTools.exe executable allows for decrypting the encrypted passwords. The accounts used in the configuration files have access to vSphere instances.
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 confidenceRVTools 4.0.6 uses a hardcoded static encryption key and IV in its password encryption utility, allowing anyone with access to the RVTools.exe executable to decrypt stored vSphere credentials in configuration files using the built-in Decrypt() method.
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= 4.0.6CVSS 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
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 RVTools installation and versionLocate RVTools installation directory (commonly C:\Program Files\RVTools or C:\Program Files (x86)\RVTools on Windows). Check the version by right-clicking RVTools.exe, selecting Properties, and viewing the File Version tab.Affected if RVTools version is exactly 4.0.6
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Locate RVTools configuration filesSearch for RVTools configuration files in the installation directory and user profile folders. Look for files with extensions such as .config, .xml, .dat, or .rvtools in %APPDATA%\RVTools and the installation folder.Affected if Configuration files exist and contain encrypted credential data
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Inspect for stored encrypted passwordsOpen configuration files found in the previous step with a text editor. Look for patterns resembling encrypted passwords (typically Base64-encoded strings or hex-encoded binary data in fields labeled Password, encryptedPassword, or similar).Affected if Configuration files contain Base64 or hex-encoded strings in password-related fields
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Verify credential storage is in useCheck if RVTools has been configured to save connections by examining the configuration files for saved vCenter/ESXi hostnames or usernames alongside encrypted password data.Affected if Saved vSphere credentials exist in configuration files alongside server connection details
You are affected if RVTools version 4.0.6 is installed and configuration files contain encrypted vSphere credentials that could be decrypted using the hardcoded key in the executable.
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 dataImmediately rotate all vSphere credentials that were encrypted using RVTools, as they are compromised. Implement secure credential storage mechanisms (such as vault solutions or environment variables) rather than storing encrypted passwords in configuration files.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-27688 — 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-2020-27688 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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