How severe is CVE-2020-22785?

CVE-2020-22785 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 none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-22785 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (61st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-22785?

CVE-2020-22785 affects Etherpad. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-22785?

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-2020-22785 published?

CVE-2020-22785 was published on 2021-04-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-22785

Q: What is CVE-2020-22785?

Etherpad < 1.8.3 is affected by a missing lock check which could cause a denial of service. Aggressively targeting random pad import endpoints with empty data would flatten all pads due to lack of rate limiting and missing ownership check.

CVE-2020-22785 is a high-severity vulnerability in Etherpad with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. 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-770.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (61st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-770
Affected product: Etherpad
Published: 2021-04-28
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Etherpad < 1.8.3 is affected by a missing lock check which could cause a denial of service. Aggressively targeting random pad import endpoints with empty data would flatten all pads due to lack of rate limiting and missing ownership check.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-22785?: Etherpad < 1.8.3 is affected by a missing lock check which could cause a denial of service. Aggressively targeting random pad import endpoints with empty data would flatten all pads due to lack of rate limiting and missing ownership check.
How severe is CVE-2020-22785?: CVE-2020-22785 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 none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-22785 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (61st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-22785?: CVE-2020-22785 affects Etherpad. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-22785?: 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-2020-22785 published?: CVE-2020-22785 was published on 2021-04-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite/pull/3833

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:etherpad:etherpad:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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