How severe is CVE-2020-28009?

CVE-2020-28009 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-2020-28009 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (37th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-28009?

CVE-2020-28009 affects Exim. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-28009?

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-2020-28009 published?

CVE-2020-28009 was published on 2021-05-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-28009

CVE-2020-28009 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-190.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (37th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-190
Affected product: Exim
Published: 2021-05-06
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Exim 4 before 4.94.2 allows Integer Overflow to Buffer Overflow because get_stdinput allows unbounded reads that are accompanied by unbounded increases in a certain size variable. NOTE: exploitation may be impractical because of the execution time needed to overflow (multiple days).

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-28009?: Exim 4 before 4.94.2 allows Integer Overflow to Buffer Overflow because get_stdinput allows unbounded reads that are accompanied by unbounded increases in a certain size variable. NOTE: exploitation may be impractical because of the execution time needed to overflow (multiple days).
How severe is CVE-2020-28009?: CVE-2020-28009 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-2020-28009 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (37th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-28009?: CVE-2020-28009 affects Exim. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-28009?: 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-2020-28009 published?: CVE-2020-28009 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-2020-28009-STDIN.txt

Affected products (1)

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

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Other CWE-190 (Integer Overflow or Wraparound) vulnerabilities

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CVE-2015-5108 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Integer overflow in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 10.x before 10.1.15 and 11.x before 11.0.12, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC…
CVE-2015-5097 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Integer overflow in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 10.x before 10.1.15 and 11.x before 11.0.12, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC…
CVE-2013-2555 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Integer overflow in Adobe Flash Player before 10.3.183.75 and 11.x before 11.7.700.169 on Windows and Mac OS X, before…

Browse all CWE-190 (Integer Overflow or Wraparound) vulnerabilities →

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)