How severe is CVE-2020-28020?

CVE-2020-28020 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-28020 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 8% (94th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-28020?

CVE-2020-28020 affects Exim. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-28020?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2020-28020 published?

CVE-2020-28020 was published on 2021-05-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-28020

CVE-2020-28020 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Exim with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. 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: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 8% (94th 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 4.92 allows Integer Overflow to Buffer Overflow, in which an unauthenticated remote attacker can execute arbitrary code by leveraging the mishandling of continuation lines during header-length restriction.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-28020?: Exim 4 before 4.92 allows Integer Overflow to Buffer Overflow, in which an unauthenticated remote attacker can execute arbitrary code by leveraging the mishandling of continuation lines during header-length restriction.
How severe is CVE-2020-28020?: CVE-2020-28020 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-28020 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 8% (94th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-28020?: CVE-2020-28020 affects Exim. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-28020?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2020-28020 published?: CVE-2020-28020 was published on 2021-05-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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

More vulnerabilities in Exim

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CVE-2020-28026 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Exim 4 before 4.94.2 has Improper Neutralization of Line Delimiters, relevant in non-default configurations that enable…

All CVEs affecting Exim →

Other CWE-190 (Integer Overflow or Wraparound) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-4689 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Sandbox escape due to incorrect boundary conditions, integer overflow in the XPCOM component. This vulnerability was…
CVE-2026-24814 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Integer Overflow or Wraparound vulnerability in swoole swoole-src (thirdparty/hiredis modules). This vulnerability is…
CVE-2025-64721 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Sandboxie is a sandbox-based isolation software for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows NT-based operating systems. In versions…
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:

166.62.41.190 (ipv4-addr)
50.62.22.47 (ipv4-addr)
192.169.201.223 (ipv4-addr)
191.101.33.225 (ipv4-addr)
108.167.177.224 (ipv4-addr)