How severe is CVE-2020-28039?

CVE-2020-28039 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.1, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-28039 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-28039?

CVE-2020-28039 primarily affects Wordpress. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-28039?

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-2020-28039 published?

CVE-2020-28039 was published on 2020-11-02 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-28039

CVE-2020-28039 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Wordpress with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.1. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.1)
CVSS v2: 6.4
EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (89th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Affected product: Wordpress
Published: 2020-11-02
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

is_protected_meta in wp-includes/meta.php in WordPress before 5.5.2 allows arbitrary file deletion because it does not properly determine whether a meta key is considered protected.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-28039?: is_protected_meta in wp-includes/meta.php in WordPress before 5.5.2 allows arbitrary file deletion because it does not properly determine whether a meta key is considered protected.
How severe is CVE-2020-28039?: CVE-2020-28039 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.1, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-28039 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-28039?: CVE-2020-28039 primarily affects Wordpress. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-28039?: 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-2020-28039 published?: CVE-2020-28039 was published on 2020-11-02 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (6)

cpe:2.3:a:wordpress:wordpress:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:20.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Wordpress

CVE-2012-2400 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Unspecified vulnerability in wp-includes/js/swfobject.js in WordPress before 3.3.2 has unknown impact and attack…
CVE-2012-2399 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in swfupload.swf in SWFupload 2.2.0.1 and earlier, as used in WordPress before…
CVE-2011-3125 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Unspecified vulnerability in WordPress 3.1 before 3.1.3 and 3.2 before Beta 2 has unknown impact and attack vectors…
CVE-2011-3122 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Unspecified vulnerability in WordPress 3.1 before 3.1.3 and 3.2 before Beta 2 has unknown impact and attack vectors…
CVE-2009-2853 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Wordpress before 2.8.3 allows remote attackers to gain privileges via a direct request to (1) admin-footer.php, (2)…
CVE-2008-6767 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): wp-admin/upgrade.php in WordPress, probably 2.6.x, allows remote attackers to upgrade the application, and possibly…

All CVEs affecting Wordpress →

Threat intelligence

Threat-intel indicators referencing this CVE:

64.202.190.35 (ipv4-addr)