How severe is CVE-2020-15258?

CVE-2020-15258 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.0, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-15258 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (78th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-15258?

CVE-2020-15258 affects Wire. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-15258?

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-2020-15258 published?

CVE-2020-15258 was published on 2020-10-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-15258

CVE-2020-15258 is a high-severity vulnerability in Wire with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.0. 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-20.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.0)
CVSS v2: 6.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (78th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Wire
Published: 2020-10-16
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In Wire before 3.20.x, `shell.openExternal` was used without checking the URL. This vulnerability allows an attacker to execute code on the victims machine by sending messages containing links with arbitrary protocols. The victim has to interact with the link and sees the URL that is opened. The issue was patched by implementing a helper function which checks if the URL's protocol is common. If it is common, the URL will be opened externally. If not, the URL will not be opened and a warning appears for the user informing them that a probably insecure URL was blocked from being executed. The issue is patched in Wire 3.20.x. More technical details about exploitation are available in the linked advisory.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-15258?: In Wire before 3.20.x, `shell.openExternal` was used without checking the URL. This vulnerability allows an attacker to execute code on the victims machine by sending messages containing links with arbitrary protocols. The victim has to interact with the link and sees the URL that is opened. The issue was patched by implementing a helper function which checks if the URL's protocol is common. If it is common, the URL will be opened externally. If not, the URL will not be opened and a warning appears for the user informing them that a probably insecure URL was blocked from being executed. The issue is patched in Wire 3.20.x. More technical details about exploitation are available in the linked advisory.
How severe is CVE-2020-15258?: CVE-2020-15258 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.0, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-15258 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (78th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-15258?: CVE-2020-15258 affects Wire. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-15258?: 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-2020-15258 published?: CVE-2020-15258 was published on 2020-10-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:wire:wire:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Wire

CVE-2020-27853 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Wire before 2020-10-16 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly execute…
CVE-2021-32665 — High (CVSS 8.8): wire-ios is the iOS version of Wire, an open-source secure messaging app. wire-ios versions 3.8.0 and earlier have a…
CVE-2018-8909 — High (CVSS 7.5): The Wire application before 2018-03-07 for Android allows attackers to write to pathnames outside of the downloads…
CVE-2021-41093 — High (CVSS 7.4): Wire is an open source secure messenger. In affected versions if the an attacker gets an old but valid access token…
CVE-2023-22737 — Medium (CVSS 6.5): wire-server provides back end services for Wire, a team communication and collaboration platform. Prior to version…
CVE-2022-23625 — Medium (CVSS 6.5): Wire-ios is a messaging application using the wire protocol on apple's ios platform. In versions prior to 3.95…

All CVEs affecting Wire →

Other CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-48316 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): ColdFusion versions 2025.9, 2023.20 and earlier are affected by an Improper Input Validation vulnerability that could…
CVE-2026-48281 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): ColdFusion versions 2025.9, 2023.20 and earlier are affected by an Improper Input Validation vulnerability that could…
CVE-2026-48277 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): ColdFusion versions 2025.9, 2023.20 and earlier are affected by an Improper Input Validation vulnerability that could…
CVE-2026-48055 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Streambert is a cross-platform Electron Desktop App to stream and download any video media. In versions 2.4.0 and…
CVE-2026-34910 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A malicious actor with access to the network could exploit an Improper Input Validation vulnerability found in UniFi OS…
CVE-2026-33587 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Lack of user input sanitisation in Open Notebook v1.8.3 allows the application user to execute Python code (and…

Browse all CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) vulnerabilities →