How severe is CVE-2020-28014?

CVE-2020-28014 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.1, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity low, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-28014 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (57th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-28014?

CVE-2020-28014 affects Exim. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-28014?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2020-28014 published?

CVE-2020-28014 was published on 2021-05-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-28014

CVE-2020-28014 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Exim with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.1. 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-269.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.1)
CVSS v2: 5.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (57th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-269
Affected product: Exim
Published: 2021-05-06
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Exim 4 before 4.94.2 allows Execution with Unnecessary Privileges. The -oP option is available to the exim user, and allows a denial of service because root-owned files can be overwritten.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-28014?: Exim 4 before 4.94.2 allows Execution with Unnecessary Privileges. The -oP option is available to the exim user, and allows a denial of service because root-owned files can be overwritten.
How severe is CVE-2020-28014?: CVE-2020-28014 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.1, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity low, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-28014 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (57th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-28014?: CVE-2020-28014 affects Exim. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-28014?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2020-28014 published?: CVE-2020-28014 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-2020-28014-PIDFP.txt

Affected products (1)

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

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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)