How severe is CVE-2020-26238?

CVE-2020-26238 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.9, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2020-26238 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (90th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-26238?

CVE-2020-26238 affects Cron-utils Project Cron-utils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-26238?

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-2020-26238 published?

CVE-2020-26238 was published on 2020-11-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-26238

CVE-2020-26238 is a high-severity vulnerability in Cron-utils Project Cron-utils with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.9. 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 7.9)
CVSS v2: 6.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (90th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-74
Affected product: Cron-utils Project Cron-utils
Published: 2020-11-25
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Cron-utils is a Java library to parse, validate, migrate crons as well as get human readable descriptions for them. In cron-utils before version 9.1.3, a template Injection vulnerability is present. This enables attackers to inject arbitrary Java EL expressions, leading to unauthenticated Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability. Only projects using the @Cron annotation to validate untrusted Cron expressions are affected. This issue was patched in version 9.1.3.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-26238?: Cron-utils is a Java library to parse, validate, migrate crons as well as get human readable descriptions for them. In cron-utils before version 9.1.3, a template Injection vulnerability is present. This enables attackers to inject arbitrary Java EL expressions, leading to unauthenticated Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability. Only projects using the @Cron annotation to validate untrusted Cron expressions are affected. This issue was patched in version 9.1.3.
How severe is CVE-2020-26238?: CVE-2020-26238 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.9, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2020-26238 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (90th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-26238?: CVE-2020-26238 affects Cron-utils Project Cron-utils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-26238?: 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-2020-26238 published?: CVE-2020-26238 was published on 2020-11-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:cron-utils_project:cron-utils:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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