CVE-2020-4202
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 · uneditedIBM UrbanCode Deploy (UCD) 7.0.3.0 and 7.0.4.0 could allow an authenticated user to impersonate another user if the server is configured to enable Distributed Front End (DFE). IBM X-Force ID: 174955.
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 confidenceIBM UrbanCode Deploy versions 7.0.3.0 and 7.0.4.0 contain an authentication flaw when Distributed Front End (DFE) is enabled. An authenticated attacker can exploit improper session or identity validation in the DFE configuration to impersonate other users on the system, potentially gaining unauthorized access to their resources and permissions.
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>= 7.0.3.0, < 7.0.3.4>= 7.0.4.0, < 7.0.4.3CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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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Check IBM UrbanCode Deploy installed versionLocate the version information in the installation directory, typically in a version manifest file or via the product's About dialog in the web interface. Common locations include the 'server' directory or check the 'version.txt' file in the installation root.Affected if The installed version falls within 7.0.3.0 through 7.0.3.3, or 7.0.4.0 through 7.0.4.2.
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Determine if Distributed Front End (DFE) is enabledInspect the DFE configuration settings in the IBM UrbanCode Deploy server configuration files. Look for DFE-related properties in the 'server.conf' or 'installed.properties' file, typically found in the 'conf' directory of the installation.Affected if DFE is explicitly enabled in the configuration.
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Verify DFE service statusCheck the status of the DFE service or component through the IBM UrbanCode Deploy admin console or by reviewing the server logs for DFE-related entries indicating active distributed front end processing.Affected if The DFE service is running and processing requests.
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Review DFE identity validation configurationExamine the DFE configuration for session and identity validation settings. Check whether proper token or session validation is configured for distributed front end communications.Affected if DFE identity validation is configured but may not be properly enforcing session integrity.
You are affected if your IBM UrbanCode Deploy version is 7.0.3.0-7.0.3.3 or 7.0.4.0-7.0.4.2 AND the Distributed Front End feature is enabled and active.
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 data7.0.3.47.0.4.3
Upgrade to IBM UrbanCode Deploy version 7.0.5.0 or later which contains the security fix. If immediate patching is not feasible, evaluate disabling DFE if business operations permit, though this may impact distributed deployment functionality.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-4202 — 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-2020-4202 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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