CVE-2020-9408
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 · uneditedThe Spotfire library component of TIBCO Software Inc.'s TIBCO Spotfire Analytics Platform for AWS Marketplace and TIBCO Spotfire Server contains a vulnerability that theoretically allows an attacker with write permissions to the Spotfire Library, but not "Script Author" group permission, to modify attributes of files and objects saved to the library such that the system treats them as trusted. This could allow an attacker to cause the Spotfire Web Player, Analyst clients, and TERR Service into executing arbitrary code with the privileges of the system account that started those processes. Affected releases are TIBCO Software Inc.'s TIBCO Spotfire Analytics Platform for AWS Marketplace: versions 10.8.0 and below and TIBCO Spotfire Server: versions 7.11.9 and below, versions 7.12.0, 7.13.0, 7.14.0, 10.0.0, 10.0.1, 10.1.0, 10.2.0, 10.3.0, 10.3.1, 10.3.2, 10.3.3, 10.3.4, 10.3.5, and 10.3.6, versions 10.4.0, 10.5.0, 10.6.0, 10.6.1, 10.7.0, and 10.8.0.
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 confidenceThis is a privilege escalation vulnerability in TIBCO Spotfire's Library component. An attacker with write permissions to the Spotfire Library but without 'Script Author' group permission can manipulate file/object attributes to make the system treat them as trusted, leading to arbitrary code execution with system account privileges.
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<= 10.8.0<= 7.11.9= 7.12.0= 7.13.0= 7.14.0= 10.0.0= 10.0.1= 10.1.0= 10.2.0= 10.3.0= 10.3.1= 10.3.2= 10.3.3CVSS 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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Identify installed TIBCO Spotfire Server versionCheck the installed version of TIBCO Spotfire Server or TIBCO Spotfire Analytics Platform for AWS. On Windows, this is typically found in the installed programs list or in the Spotfire Server configuration files (e.g., version.info or in the Spotfire administration tool). On Linux, check the installation directory or use the 'tdxadmin --version' command if available.Affected if The installed version matches one of the affected versions listed: <=7.11.9, =7.12.0, =7.13.0, =7.14.0, =10.0.0, =10.0.1, =10.1.0, =10.2.0, =10.3.0, =10.3.1, =10.3.2, =10.3.3, or <=10.8.0 for AWS version.
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Confirm Spotfire Library component is accessibleVerify that the Spotfire Library feature is enabled and accessible to users. Check the Spotfire Server configuration (spotfire-config.xml or through the Spotfire Administration tool) to confirm the Library service is running and accessible.Affected if The Library component is enabled and users have access to it.
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Review users with Library write permissionsUsing the Spotfire Administration tool or by querying the Spotfire database, enumerate all users and groups that have write permissions to the Spotfire Library. Specifically look for users who have Library write access but are NOT members of the 'Script Author' group.Affected if There exist users with Library write permissions who are NOT members of the Script Author group.
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Audit Script Author group membershipAccess the Spotfire Administration tool or user directory configuration and review the membership of the 'Script Author' group. Document all users currently assigned to this privileged group.Affected if The Script Author group exists and has members, indicating the privilege escalation path is present.
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Inspect Library object metadata for unexpected attributesReview Library object metadata and attributes through the Spotfire API or by examining Library configuration files. Look for objects with modified trust attributes, signature settings, or execution permissions that differ from baseline configurations.Affected if Library objects contain unexpected trust attributes, modified signature settings, or permissions that would allow unauthorized code execution.
A user is affected if they run a vulnerable TIBCO Spotfire version (as listed) AND have the Library component enabled with users possessing write permissions who are not members of the Script Author group.
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 dataUpgrade to a patched version of TIBCO Spotfire Server/Analytics Platform. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict write permissions to the Spotfire Library to only trusted users and monitor for suspicious attribute modifications.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing10.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-9408 — 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-2020-9408 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
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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