How severe is CVE-2020-26222?

CVE-2020-26222 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.7, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2020-26222 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (85th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-26222?

CVE-2020-26222 primarily affects Dependabot Project Dependabot. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-26222?

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-2020-26222 published?

CVE-2020-26222 was published on 2020-11-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-26222

CVE-2020-26222 is a high-severity vulnerability in Dependabot Project Dependabot with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.7. 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-74.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.7)
CVSS v2: 6.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (85th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-74
Affected product: Dependabot Project Dependabot
Published: 2020-11-13
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Dependabot is a set of packages for automated dependency management for Ruby, JavaScript, Python, PHP, Elixir, Rust, Java, .NET, Elm and Go. In Dependabot-Core from version 0.119.0.beta1 before version 0.125.1, there is a remote code execution vulnerability in dependabot-common and dependabot-go_modules when a source branch name contains malicious injectable bash code. For example, if Dependabot is configured to use the following source branch name: "/$({curl,127.0.0.1})", Dependabot will make a HTTP request to the following URL: 127.0.0.1 when cloning the source repository. The fix was applied to version 0.125.1. As a workaround, one can escape the branch name prior to passing it to the Dependabot::Source class.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-26222?: Dependabot is a set of packages for automated dependency management for Ruby, JavaScript, Python, PHP, Elixir, Rust, Java, .NET, Elm and Go. In Dependabot-Core from version 0.119.0.beta1 before version 0.125.1, there is a remote code execution vulnerability in dependabot-common and dependabot-go_modules when a source branch name contains malicious injectable bash code. For example, if Dependabot is configured to use the following source branch name: "/$({curl,127.0.0.1})", Dependabot will make a HTTP request to the following URL: 127.0.0.1 when cloning the source repository. The fix was applied to version 0.125.1. As a workaround, one can escape the branch name prior to passing it to the Dependabot::Source class.
How severe is CVE-2020-26222?: CVE-2020-26222 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.7, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2020-26222 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (85th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-26222?: CVE-2020-26222 primarily affects Dependabot Project Dependabot. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-26222?: 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-2020-26222 published?: CVE-2020-26222 was published on 2020-11-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:a:dependabot_project:dependabot:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:dependabot_project:dependabot:0.119.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:dependabot_project:dependabot:0.119.0:beta1:*:*:*:*:*:*

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