How severe is CVE-2020-27196?

CVE-2020-27196 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-2020-27196 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (69th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-27196?

CVE-2020-27196 affects Lightbend Play Framework. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-27196?

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-2020-27196 published?

CVE-2020-27196 was published on 2020-11-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-27196

CVE-2020-27196 is a high-severity vulnerability in Lightbend Play Framework 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-787.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (69th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-787
Affected product: Lightbend Play Framework
Published: 2020-11-06
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in PlayJava in Play Framework 2.6.0 through 2.8.2. The body parsing of HTTP requests eagerly parses a payload given a Content-Type header. A deep JSON structure sent to a valid POST endpoint (that may or may not expect JSON payloads) causes a StackOverflowError and Denial of Service.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-27196?: An issue was discovered in PlayJava in Play Framework 2.6.0 through 2.8.2. The body parsing of HTTP requests eagerly parses a payload given a Content-Type header. A deep JSON structure sent to a valid POST endpoint (that may or may not expect JSON payloads) causes a StackOverflowError and Denial of Service.
How severe is CVE-2020-27196?: CVE-2020-27196 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-2020-27196 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (69th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-27196?: CVE-2020-27196 affects Lightbend Play Framework. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-27196?: 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-2020-27196 published?: CVE-2020-27196 was published on 2020-11-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:lightbend:play_framework:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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