How severe is CVE-2020-10138?

CVE-2020-10138 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-10138 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (39th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-10138?

CVE-2020-10138 primarily affects Acronis Cyber Backup. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-10138?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2020-10138 published?

CVE-2020-10138 was published on 2020-10-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-10138

CVE-2020-10138 is a high-severity vulnerability in Acronis Cyber Backup with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-665.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (39th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-665
Affected product: Acronis Cyber Backup
Published: 2020-10-21
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Acronis Cyber Backup 12.5 and Cyber Protect 15 include an OpenSSL component that specifies an OPENSSLDIR variable as a subdirectory within C:\jenkins_agent\. Acronis Cyber Backup and Cyber Protect contain a privileged service that uses this OpenSSL component. Because unprivileged Windows users can create subdirectories off of the system root, a user can create the appropriate path to a specially-crafted openssl.cnf file to achieve arbitrary code execution with SYSTEM privileges.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-10138?: Acronis Cyber Backup 12.5 and Cyber Protect 15 include an OpenSSL component that specifies an OPENSSLDIR variable as a subdirectory within C:\jenkins_agent\. Acronis Cyber Backup and Cyber Protect contain a privileged service that uses this OpenSSL component. Because unprivileged Windows users can create subdirectories off of the system root, a user can create the appropriate path to a specially-crafted openssl.cnf file to achieve arbitrary code execution with SYSTEM privileges.
How severe is CVE-2020-10138?: CVE-2020-10138 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-10138 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (39th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-10138?: CVE-2020-10138 primarily affects Acronis Cyber Backup. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-10138?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2020-10138 published?: CVE-2020-10138 was published on 2020-10-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/114757

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:a:acronis:cyber_backup:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:acronis:cyber_protect:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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