How severe is CVE-2020-14971?

CVE-2020-14971 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-2020-14971 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (42nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-14971?

CVE-2020-14971 affects Pi-hole. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-14971?

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-2020-14971 published?

CVE-2020-14971 was published on 2020-06-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-14971

CVE-2020-14971 is a high-severity vulnerability in Pi-hole 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-862.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 4.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (42nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-862
Affected product: Pi-hole
Published: 2020-06-23
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Pi-hole through 5.0 allows code injection in piholedhcp (the Static DHCP Leases section) by modifying Teleporter backup files and then restoring them. This occurs in settings.php. To exploit this, an attacker would request a backup of limited files via teleporter.php. These are placed into a .tar.gz archive. The attacker then modifies the host parameter in dnsmasq.d files, and then compresses and uploads these files again.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-14971?: Pi-hole through 5.0 allows code injection in piholedhcp (the Static DHCP Leases section) by modifying Teleporter backup files and then restoring them. This occurs in settings.php. To exploit this, an attacker would request a backup of limited files via teleporter.php. These are placed into a .tar.gz archive. The attacker then modifies the host parameter in dnsmasq.d files, and then compresses and uploads these files again.
How severe is CVE-2020-14971?: CVE-2020-14971 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-2020-14971 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (42nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-14971?: CVE-2020-14971 affects Pi-hole. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-14971?: 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-2020-14971 published?: CVE-2020-14971 was published on 2020-06-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:pi-hole:pi-hole:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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