How severe is CVE-2020-6754?

CVE-2020-6754 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-2020-6754 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 95% (100th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-6754?

CVE-2020-6754 affects Dotcms. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-6754?

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-2020-6754 published?

CVE-2020-6754 was published on 2020-02-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-6754

CVE-2020-6754 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Dotcms with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 95% places it in the 100th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-22.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 95% (100th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-22
Affected product: Dotcms
Published: 2020-02-05
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

dotCMS before 5.2.4 is vulnerable to directory traversal, leading to incorrect access control. It allows an attacker to read or execute files under $TOMCAT_HOME/webapps/ROOT/assets (which should be a protected directory). Additionally, attackers can upload temporary files (e.g., .jsp files) into /webapps/ROOT/assets/tmp_upload, which can lead to remote command execution (with the permissions of the user running the dotCMS application).

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-6754?: dotCMS before 5.2.4 is vulnerable to directory traversal, leading to incorrect access control. It allows an attacker to read or execute files under $TOMCAT_HOME/webapps/ROOT/assets (which should be a protected directory). Additionally, attackers can upload temporary files (e.g., .jsp files) into /webapps/ROOT/assets/tmp_upload, which can lead to remote command execution (with the permissions of the user running the dotCMS application).
How severe is CVE-2020-6754?: CVE-2020-6754 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-2020-6754 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 95% (100th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-6754?: CVE-2020-6754 affects Dotcms. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-6754?: 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-2020-6754 published?: CVE-2020-6754 was published on 2020-02-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:dotcms:dotcms:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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