--- title: "TYPO3-CORE-SA-2020-007: Potential Privilege Escalation" url: "https://news.typo3.com/security/advisory/typo3-core-sa-2020-007" description: It has been discovered that TYPO3 CMS is susceptible to privilege escalation. image: "https://news.typo3.com/_assets/d1e01514e4c4a5b3147940fa2ec50682/Images/og-image-news.jpg" date: 2026-06-11 modified: 2026-06-11 categories: - "Developer & Technology" - TYPO3 CMS --- # TYPO3-CORE-SA-2020-007: Potential Privilege Escalation - [Developer & Technology](https://news.typo3.com/article/category/developer-technology) - Security / [TYPO3 CMS](https://news.typo3.com/article/category/security/typo3-cms) TYPO3-CORE-SA-2020-007: Potential Privilege Escalation ====================================================== 28 July 2020 ![A laptop screen displaying a list of security advisories](https://news.typo3.com/typo3temp/assets/_processed_/d/c/csm_security_blog_default_77f8e86036.webp) It has been discovered that TYPO3 CMS is susceptible to privilege escalation. - ![](https://news.typo3.com/typo3temp/assets/t3g/blog/gravatar/b8266fdc667b773926c59081862ab148.jpeg)[Oliver Hader](https://news.typo3.com/article/author/oliver-hader) - **Component Type:** TYPO3 CMS - **Subcomponent:** eID API (ext:frontend, ext:core) - **Release Date:** July 28, 2020 - **Vulnerability Type:** Privilege Escalation, Remote Code Execution - **Affected Versions:** 9.0.0-9.5.19, 10.0.0-10.4.5 - **Severity:** High - **Suggested CVSS:** [CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:F/RL:O/RC:C](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln-metrics/cvss/v3-calculator?vector=AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:F/RL:O/RC:C&version=3.1) - **References:** [CVE-2020-15099](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-15099), [CWE-20](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/20.html), [CWE-200](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/200.html) ### Problem Description In case an attacker manages to generate a valid cryptographic message authentication code (HMAC-SHA1) - either by using a different existing vulnerability or in case the internal *encryptionKey* was exposed - it is possible to retrieve arbitrary files of a TYPO3 installation. This includes the possibility to fetch *typo3conf/LocalConfiguration.php* which again contains the *encryptionKey* as well as credentials of the database management system being used. In case a database server is directly accessible either via internet or in a shared hosting network, this allows to completely retrieve, manipulate or delete database contents. This includes creating an administration user account - which can be used to trigger remote code execution by injecting custom extensions. ### Solution Update to TYPO3 versions 9.5.20 or 10.4.6 that fix the problem described. ### Credits Thanks to TYPO3 security team member Oliver Hader who reported and fixed the issue. ### General Advice Follow the recommendations that are given in the [TYPO3 Security Guide](https://docs.typo3.org/typo3cms/CoreApiReference/Security/Index.html#security). Please subscribe to the [typo3-announce](http://lists.typo3.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/typo3-announce) mailing list. ### General Note All security related code changes are tagged so that you can easily look them up in our [review system](https://review.typo3.org/#/q/status:merged+project:Packages/TYPO3.CMS+topic:security,n,z). ![](https://news.typo3.com/typo3temp/assets/t3g/blog/gravatar/cc7cba9757f98fbe05023a139119df74.jpeg) About the Author [Oliver Hader](https://news.typo3.com/article/author/oliver-hader) Core Developer at TYPO3 GmbH,Hof, Germany [Website](https://typo3.com)[Twitter](https://twitter.com/ohader)[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliverhader/)[Xing](https://www.xing.com/profile/Oliver_Hader) Oliver started to work with TYPO3 in 2005 and was fascinated by the product and its universe. Since 2007 he is member of the TYPO3 Core Team. After going back to university in 2014 for achieving a postgraduate master degree in internet web science, he is now researching on advanced web technology topics in general and for TYPO3 in particular. In his spare time, Oliver loves to go cycling cross-country in the uplands around Hof (Germany) in northern Bavaria - at the region where he's living as well. [More posts by this author](https://news.typo3.com/article/author/oliver-hader)