Vulnerability Monitor

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CVE-2020-15523

In Python 3.6 through 3.6.10, 3.7 through 3.7.8, 3.8 through 3.8.4rc1, and 3.9 through 3.9.0b4 on Windows, a Trojan horse python3.dll might be used in cases where CPython is embedded in a native application. This occurs because python3X.dll may use an invalid search path for python3.dll loading (after Py_SetPath has been used). NOTE: this issue CANNOT occur when using python.exe from a standard (non-embedded) Python installation on Windows.

Security Impact Summary

This vulnerability carries a HIGH severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8, requiring local system access to exploit with relatively low complexity though user interaction is required and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), integrity (unauthorized modifications), and availability (service disruption) for affected systems. Impacting 3 products from python, from microsoft, from netapp organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.

Historical Context

Reported in 2020, this vulnerability emerged during an era marked by increased sophistication in supply chain attacks, cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) security challenges. Security practices during this period emphasized zero-trust architectures, container security, and API protection.

Published

2020-07-04T23:15:10.313

Last Modified

2024-11-21T05:05:41.497

Status

Modified

Source

[email protected]

Severity

CVSSv3.1: 7.8 (HIGH)

CVSSv2 Vector

AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Access Vector: LOCAL
Access Complexity: MEDIUM
Authentication: NONE
Confidentiality Impact: COMPLETE
Integrity Impact: COMPLETE
Availability Impact: COMPLETE

Exploitability Score

3.4

Impact Score

10.0

Weaknesses

Type: Primary
CWE-427
CWE-908

Affected Vendors & Products

Type	Vendor	Product	Version/Range	Vulnerable?
Application	python	python	< 3.5.10	Yes
Application	python	python	< 3.6.12	Yes
Application	python	python	< 3.7.9	Yes
Application	python	python	< 3.8.4	Yes
Application	python	python	3.8.4	Yes
Application	python	python	3.9.0	Yes
Application	python	python	3.9.0	Yes
Application	python	python	3.9.0	Yes
Application	python	python	3.9.0	Yes
Application	python	python	3.9.0	Yes
Application	python	python	3.9.0	Yes
Application	python	python	3.9.0	Yes
Application	python	python	3.9.0	Yes
Application	python	python	3.9.0	Yes
Application	python	python	3.9.0	Yes
Operating System	microsoft	windows	-	No
Application	netapp	snapcenter	-	Yes

References

https://bugs.python.org/issue29778 Issue Tracking, Patch, Vendor Advisory ([email protected])
https://github.com/python/cpython/pull/21297 Patch, Third Party Advisory ([email protected])
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210312-0004/ Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory ([email protected])
https://bugs.python.org/issue29778 Issue Tracking, Patch, Vendor Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://github.com/python/cpython/pull/21297 Patch, Third Party Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210312-0004/ Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)

How SecUtils Interprets This CVE

SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For python's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.