How severe is CVE-2020-8838?

CVE-2020-8838 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.4, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over an adjacent network with high attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-8838 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (72nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-8838?

CVE-2020-8838 affects Zohocorp Manageengine Assetexplorer. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-8838?

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

When was CVE-2020-8838 published?

CVE-2020-8838 was published on 2020-03-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-8838

CVE-2020-8838 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Zohocorp Manageengine Assetexplorer with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.4. 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-354.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.4)
CVSS v2: 4.9
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (72nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-354
Affected product: Zohocorp Manageengine Assetexplorer
Published: 2020-03-23
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in Zoho ManageEngine AssetExplorer 6.5. During an upgrade of the Windows agent, it does not validate the source and binary downloaded. This allows an attacker on an adjacent network to execute code with NT AUTHORITY/SYSTEM privileges on the agent machines by providing an arbitrary executable via a man-in-the-middle attack.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-8838?: An issue was discovered in Zoho ManageEngine AssetExplorer 6.5. During an upgrade of the Windows agent, it does not validate the source and binary downloaded. This allows an attacker on an adjacent network to execute code with NT AUTHORITY/SYSTEM privileges on the agent machines by providing an arbitrary executable via a man-in-the-middle attack.
How severe is CVE-2020-8838?: CVE-2020-8838 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.4, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over an adjacent network with high attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-8838 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (72nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-8838?: CVE-2020-8838 affects Zohocorp Manageengine Assetexplorer. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-8838?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2020-8838 published?: CVE-2020-8838 was published on 2020-03-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:zohocorp:manageengine_assetexplorer:6.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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