CVE-2020-10148
CVE-2020-10148 is a security flaw in SolarWinds Orion, SolarWinds’ IT management software. Attackers can get into SolarWinds Orion without a valid password. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 3 Nov 2021.[1]
SolarWinds Orion is business software or equipment. Most families won’t have it, but attackers break into it to get inside companies, and from there to what those companies hold about their customers, patients and staff. SolarWinds has published a fix or advice.
Description
CISA calls it an authentication bypass in SolarWinds Orion. In its words: “SolarWinds Orion API contains an authentication bypass vulnerability that could allow a remote attacker to execute API commands.”[1]
The CVE record adds: “The SolarWinds Orion API is vulnerable to an authentication bypass that could allow a remote attacker to execute API commands. This vulnerability could allow a remote attacker to bypass authentication and execute API commands which may result in a compromise of the SolarWinds instance. SolarWinds Orion Platform versions 2019.4 HF 5, 2020.2 with no hotfix installed, and 2020.2 HF 1 are affected.”[2]
The underlying weakness is authentication bypass (CWE-288), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.
It scores 9.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it critical, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; SolarWinds’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as SolarWinds Orion.
Most families won’t have SolarWinds Orion; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 3 Nov 2021, 309 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 3 May 2022 to fix it.[1]
FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 92%. That’s in the top 1% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as automatable: attackers can run it against many targets at once.
CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.
Fix
SolarWinds has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions.”[1]
- Check whether you use it.SolarWinds Orion is business software or equipment, so most families won’t have it. If you run a business, or work from home on company equipment, ask whoever looks after your IT.
- Send this page to your IT person.Ask them to confirm it’s fixed, or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 3 May 2022 to fix it.
- If it can’t be fixed, take it offline.CISA’s advice when there’s no fix is to stop using the product, or take it off the internet, until there is one.
You can’t fix someone else’s server, but you can watch for what follows a break-in like this: a breach notice, a password reset you didn’t ask for, or a scam message that knows things it shouldn’t. HARD watches for those for you and your family.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 9.8.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 92%.[4] |
See also
Other SolarWinds flaws
- CVE-2026-28318, SolarWinds Serv-U: uncontrolled resource consumption ·
- CVE-2025-26399, SolarWinds Web Help Desk: deserialization of untrusted data ·
- CVE-2025-40536, SolarWinds Web Help Desk: security control bypass ·
- CVE-2025-40551, SolarWinds Web Help Desk: deserialization of untrusted data ·
- CVE-2024-28987, SolarWinds Web Help Desk: hardcoded credential ·
Other authentication bypass flaws
- CVE-2026-20079, Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) and Security Cloud Control (SCC) Firewall Management: firewall management center authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel ·
- CVE-2026-19490, Citrix NetScaler: authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel ·
- CVE-2026-18556, N-able N-central: authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel ·
- CVE-2026-18577, N-able N-central: authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel ·
- CVE-2026-1603, Ivanti Endpoint Manager (EPM): authentication bypass ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2021-42258, BQE BillQuick Web Suite: SQL injection ·
- CVE-2021-42013, Apache HTTP Server: path traversal ·
- CVE-2021-41773, Apache HTTP Server: path traversal ·
- CVE-2021-40539, Zoho ManageEngine: aDSelfService plus authentication bypass ·
- CVE-2021-40444, Microsoft MSHTML: remote code execution ·
Every SolarWinds flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in November 2021
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “SolarWinds Orion Authentication Bypass Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 3 Nov 2021.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2020-10148 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 29 Dec 2020.
- ^ SolarWinds. Advisories and fixes: solarwinds.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.920, percentile 99.8, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2020-10148”. The official CVE record.
This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.