How severe is CVE-2020-28007?

CVE-2020-28007 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-28007 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (41st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-28007?

CVE-2020-28007 affects Exim. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-28007?

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-2020-28007 published?

CVE-2020-28007 was published on 2021-05-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-28007

CVE-2020-28007 is a high-severity vulnerability in Exim with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. 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-59.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (41st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-59
Affected product: Exim
Published: 2021-05-06
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Exim 4 before 4.94.2 allows Execution with Unnecessary Privileges. Because Exim operates as root in the log directory (owned by a non-root user), a symlink or hard link attack allows overwriting critical root-owned files anywhere on the filesystem.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-28007?: Exim 4 before 4.94.2 allows Execution with Unnecessary Privileges. Because Exim operates as root in the log directory (owned by a non-root user), a symlink or hard link attack allows overwriting critical root-owned files anywhere on the filesystem.
How severe is CVE-2020-28007?: CVE-2020-28007 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-28007 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (41st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-28007?: CVE-2020-28007 affects Exim. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-28007?: 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-2020-28007 published?: CVE-2020-28007 was published on 2021-05-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://www.exim.org/static/doc/security/CVE-2020-qualys/CVE-2020-28007-LFDIR.txt

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:exim:exim:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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Other CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access (Link Following)) vulnerabilities

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Threat intelligence

Threat-intel indicators referencing this CVE:

76.12.128.249 (ipv4-addr)
50.116.72.139 (ipv4-addr)
166.62.41.190 (ipv4-addr)
132.148.155.138 (ipv4-addr)
50.62.22.47 (ipv4-addr)
31.131.22.122 (ipv4-addr)
193.68.57.43 (ipv4-addr)
192.169.201.223 (ipv4-addr)