CVE-2020-3976

VMware ESXi and vCenter Server contain a partial denial of service vulnerability in their respective authentication services. VMware has evaluated the severity of this issue to be in the Moderate severity range with a maximum CVSSv3 base score of 5.3.

Published: 2020-08-21 Last update: 2026-06-16 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]

Conclusion & alert: CVE-2020-3976 is rated Moderate Risk (48.6/100): CVSS Medium severity, with medium exploitation likelihood (EPSS 2.12%). Mandatory action: Review affected assets and schedule remediation.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2020-3976

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-06-15 2.50% 2.12% -0.38%
2 2026-03-04 0.79% 2.50% +1.70%
3 2026-03-01 0.79%

Full EPSS history (45 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2020-3976

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
5.3 3.1 MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:N)
Doesn’t really leak secrets in a meaningful way.
Integrity (I:N)
Data isn’t meaningfully altered or forged.
Availability (A:L)
Might cause slowdowns, glitches, or partial disruption—not a full brick.
3.9 1.4 [email protected]
5.0 2.0 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P Click to expand
Access vector (AV:N)
Can be exploited remotely over network reachability.
Access complexity (AC:L)
Exploitation conditions are straightforward and predictable.
Authentication (AU:N)
No authentication is required.
Confidentiality impact (C:N)
No confidentiality impact.
Integrity impact (I:N)
No integrity impact.
Availability impact (A:P)
Partial availability impact.
10.0 2.9 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2020-3976

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2020-3976

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
vmware cloud_foundation >= 3.0, < 3.10 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:cloud_foundation:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware cloud_foundation >= 4.0, < 4.0.1 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:cloud_foundation:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.5 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.5:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.5 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.5:a:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.5 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.5:b:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.5 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.5:c:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.5 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.5:d:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.5 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.5:e:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.5 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.5:f:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.5 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.5:update1:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.5 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.5:update1b:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.5 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.5:update1c:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.5 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.5:update1d:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.5 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.5:update1e:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.5 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.5:update1g:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.5 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.5:update2:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.5 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.5:update2b:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.5 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.5:update2c:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.5 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.5:update2d:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.5 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.5:update2g:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.5 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.5:update3:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.5 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.5:update3d:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.5 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.5:update3f:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.7 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.7:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.7 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.7:a:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.7 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.7:b:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.7 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.7:d:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.7 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.7:update1:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.7 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.7:update1b:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.7 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.7:update2:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.7 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.7:update2a:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.7 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.7:update2c:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.7 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.7:update3:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.7 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.7:update3a:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.7 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.7:update3b:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.7 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.7:update3f:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 6.7 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:6.7:update3g:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 7.0 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 7.0 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:a:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201701001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201703001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201703002:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201704001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707101:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707102:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707103:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707201:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707202:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707203:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707204:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707205:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707206:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707207:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707208:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707209:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707210:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707211:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707212:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707213:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707214:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707215:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707216:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707217:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707218:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707219:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707220:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707221:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201710001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201712001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201803001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201806001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201808001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201810001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201810002:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201811001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201811002:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201811301:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201901001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201903001:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2020-3976

cvelogic Threat Intelligence