Pivotal SchedulerApplication · VMware
CVE-2020-5426
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 · uneditedScheduler for TAS prior to version 1.4.0 was permitting plaintext transmission of UAA client token by sending it over a non-TLS connection. This also depended on the configuration of the MySQL server which is used to cache a UAA client token used by the service. If intercepted the token can give an attacker admin level access in the cloud controller.
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 Scheduler component for TAS versions prior to 1.4.0 transmitted UAA client tokens in plaintext over non-TLS connections to the MySQL database used for token caching. An attacker intercepting these tokens gains admin-level access to the cloud controller.
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
Pivotal SchedulerApplication
< 1.4.0CVSS 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
- 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Pivotal Scheduler versionLocate the Scheduler installation directory or check the installed package/version using the platform's package manager or deployment manifest. Common locations include /var/vcap/packages or the deployer's configuration files.Affected if Version is below 1.4.0 (e.g., 1.3.x, 1.2.x, etc.)
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Examine MySQL client configuration in SchedulerReview the database configuration file used by Scheduler. This is typically found in the Scheduler's config directory, often named database.yml or similar, containing the connection string to the MySQL server.Affected if The connection parameters do not include 'ssl=true', 'require_ssl=true', or TLS/SSL enforcement flags, or explicitly set 'ssl: false' or 'sslmode: disable'.
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Verify MySQL server accepts encrypted connectionsCheck the MySQL server configuration (my.cnf or my.ini) for 'require_secure_transport=ON' or similar TLS enforcement settings, and confirm the server is configured with valid SSL certificates.Affected if The MySQL server does not enforce secure transport or TLS, allowing plaintext connections from the Scheduler component.
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Confirm network path between Scheduler and MySQLInspect network architecture to determine if the Scheduler can communicate with the MySQL database over the network without TLS protection.Affected if Network traffic between Scheduler and MySQL traverses a path where an attacker could intercept plaintext traffic (non-TLS).
Environment is affected if running Pivotal Scheduler version prior to 1.4.0 AND the MySQL database connection is configured without TLS/SSL enforcement, allowing plaintext token transmission.
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.
dbcve · scoped1.4.0
Enforce TLS encryption on all database connections by configuring the MySQL client in Scheduler to require SSL/TLS, and ensure the MySQL server is configured to accept encrypted connections. Upgrade Scheduler to version 1.4.0 or later.
1.4.0
- Upgrade Pivotal Scheduler to version 1.4.0 or later per VMware migration documentation
- Verify that the MySQL server connection is configured to use TLS/SSL encryption
- Confirm that the UAA client token is now transmitted over TLS-protected connections
- Test that the Scheduler service can successfully authenticate with the Cloud Controller after the upgrade
- Review logs to ensure no plaintext token transmission is occurring
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Pivotal Scheduler
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 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 $4,544.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-5426 — 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-2020-5426 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
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