How severe is CVE-2020-7729?

CVE-2020-7729 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-7729 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (81st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-7729?

CVE-2020-7729 primarily affects Gruntjs Grunt. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-7729?

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-2020-7729 published?

CVE-2020-7729 was published on 2020-09-03 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-7729

CVE-2020-7729 is a high-severity vulnerability in Gruntjs Grunt with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1. 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-1188.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.1)
CVSS v2: 4.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (81st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-1188
Affected product: Gruntjs Grunt
Published: 2020-09-03
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The package grunt before 1.3.0 are vulnerable to Arbitrary Code Execution due to the default usage of the function load() instead of its secure replacement safeLoad() of the package js-yaml inside grunt.file.readYAML.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-7729?: The package grunt before 1.3.0 are vulnerable to Arbitrary Code Execution due to the default usage of the function load() instead of its secure replacement safeLoad() of the package js-yaml inside grunt.file.readYAML.
How severe is CVE-2020-7729?: CVE-2020-7729 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-7729 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (81st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-7729?: CVE-2020-7729 primarily affects Gruntjs Grunt. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-7729?: 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-2020-7729 published?: CVE-2020-7729 was published on 2020-09-03 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:a:gruntjs:grunt:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*

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