---
id: "CVE-2020-3950"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2020-3950"]
title: "VMware Multiple Products: VMware Multiple Products Privilege Escalation Vulnerability"
severity: "high"
cvss: 7.8
epss: 0.07254
exploited: true
status: "open"
category: "vendor"
products: [{"name": "VMware Multiple Products", "fixed": [], "affected": "", "ecosystem": "vendor"}]
ecosystems: ["vendor"]
tags: ["exploited", "horizon-client", "macos", "vendor", "vmrc", "vmware-fusion"]
not_affected_if: ["fixed-version-installed", "product-not-installed"]
published_at: "2020-03-17T19:15:12+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T19:11:53+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-23T20:29:41+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "kev", "url": "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2020-3950", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T19:11:53+00:00"}, {"source": "epss", "url": "https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-3950", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T19:13:43+00:00"}, {"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-3950", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T19:35:23+00:00"}]
---

# VMware Multiple Products: VMware Multiple Products Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

VMware Fusion, Remote Console for Mac, and Horizon Client for Mac contain a privilege escalation flaw caused by improper use of setuid binaries. A local user with normal privileges can gain root on the affected Mac.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## Affected

- vendor:VMware Multiple Products affected ? fixed ?

## How to check

Open VMware Fusion, VMRC, or Horizon Client and check the version under About; compare against Fusion 11.5.2+, VMRC 11.0.1+, Horizon Client 5.4.0+.

## Fix

Update VMware Fusion to 11.5.2 or later, VMware Remote Console for Mac to 11.0.1 or later, and Horizon Client for Mac to 5.4.0 or later.

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T19:11:53+00:00 kev https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2020-3950
- 2026-10-23T19:13:43+00:00 epss https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-3950
- 2026-10-23T19:35:23+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-3950

## From the sources

VMware Fusion (11.x before 11.5.2), VMware Remote Console for Mac (11.x and prior before 11.0.1) and Horizon Client for Mac (5.x and prior before 5.4.0) contain a privilege escalation vulnerability due to improper use of setuid binaries. Successful exploitation of this issue may allow attackers with normal user privileges to escalate their privileges to root on the system where Fusion, VMRC or Horizon Client is installed.

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_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_