CVE-2020-9518
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 · uneditedLogin filter can access configuration files vulnerability in Micro Focus Service Manager (Web Tier), affecting versions 9.50, 9.51, 9.52, 9.60, 9.61, 9.62. The vulnerability could be exploited to allow unauthorized access to configuration data.
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 confidenceThe vulnerability exists in the login filter of Micro Focus Service Manager Web Tier, allowing unauthorized access to configuration files. This could expose sensitive configuration data including credentials or connection strings due to improper access controls on the login filter component.
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>= 9.50, <= 9.62CVSS 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
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/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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Check installed Service Manager versionLocate the Service Manager installation directory and look for version information in product files, or run the sm -version command if available. Common locations include /opt/microfocus/sm or C:\MicroFocus\sm on Windows.Affected if The installed version is between 9.50 and 9.62 inclusive.
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Verify Web Tier component is presentCheck for the presence of the Web Tier (Tomcat or IIS-based web tier) installation. Look for webtier, webtier100, or similar directories under the Service Manager installation path. Also check if the web tier service is running.Affected if The Web Tier component is installed and running.
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Inspect login filter configurationExamine the web.xml file in the Web Tier configuration directory (typically in conf/ or WEB-INF/ folder). Look for login filter servlet mappings and their configuration.Affected if A login filter is configured and accessible without authentication.
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Review web tier configuration directory permissionsCheck file system permissions on the web tier configuration directory. On Unix systems use ls -la; on Windows use icacls or check security properties. Verify who has read access to configuration files.Affected if Configuration files are readable by unauthorized users or the web server process has overly broad file access.
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Check for exposed configuration filesTest direct HTTP access to common configuration file paths on the web tier (such as /webtier/config/ or similar paths). Look for files containing connection strings, database credentials, or sensitive parameters.Affected if Configuration files are accessible via HTTP without authentication.
You are affected if running Service Manager version 9.50 through 9.62 with the Web Tier enabled, and the login filter permits unauthorized access to configuration files.
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 dataApply the vendor-supplied patch or upgrade to a fixed version of Service Manager. If patches are unavailable, review and restrict file access permissions on the web tier configuration directory.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-9518 — 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-2020-9518 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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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- 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