How severe is CVE-2020-17408?

CVE-2020-17408 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2020-17408 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 74% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-17408?

CVE-2020-17408 primarily affects Nec Expresscluster X. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-17408?

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-2020-17408 published?

CVE-2020-17408 was published on 2020-09-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-17408

CVE-2020-17408 is a high-severity vulnerability in Nec Expresscluster X with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 74% places it in the 99th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-611.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 74% (99th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-611
Affected product: Nec Expresscluster X
Published: 2020-09-10
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

This vulnerability allows remote attackers to disclose sensitive information on affected installations of NEC ExpressCluster 4.1. Authentication is not required to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the clpwebmc executable. Due to the improper restriction of XML External Entity (XXE) references, a specially-crafted document specifying a URI causes the XML parser to access the URI and embed the contents back into the XML document for further processing. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to disclose information in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-10801.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-17408?: This vulnerability allows remote attackers to disclose sensitive information on affected installations of NEC ExpressCluster 4.1. Authentication is not required to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the clpwebmc executable. Due to the improper restriction of XML External Entity (XXE) references, a specially-crafted document specifying a URI causes the XML parser to access the URI and embed the contents back into the XML document for further processing. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to disclose information in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-10801.
How severe is CVE-2020-17408?: CVE-2020-17408 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2020-17408 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 74% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-17408?: CVE-2020-17408 primarily affects Nec Expresscluster X. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-17408?: 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-2020-17408 published?: CVE-2020-17408 was published on 2020-09-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:a:nec:expresscluster_x:4.1:*:*:*:*:windows:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:nec:expresscluster_x:4.2:*:*:*:*:windows:*:*

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Other CWE-611 (Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference (XXE)) vulnerabilities

CVE-2022-22486 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler 9.4, 9.5, and 10.1 is vulnerable to an XML External Entity Injection (XXE) attack when…
CVE-2019-14678 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): SAS XML Mapper 9.45 has an XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability that can be leveraged by malicious attackers in…
CVE-2015-9280 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): MailEnable before 8.60 allows XXE via an XML document in the request.aspx Options parameter.
CVE-2018-1000838 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): autopsy version <= 4.9.0 contains a XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in CaseMetadata XML Parser that can result…
CVE-2018-1000837 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): UML Designer version <= 8.0.0 contains a XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in XML parser for plugins that can…
CVE-2018-1000835 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): KeePassDX version <= 2.5.0.0beta17 contains a XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in kdbx file parser that can…

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