{"id":"CVE-2020-8218","published":"2020-07-30T13:15:11Z","modified":"2026-06-17T03:26:04Z","title":"Pulse Connect Secure Code Injection Vulnerability","vendor":"Pulse Secure","product":"Pulse Connect Secure","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"A code injection vulnerability exists in Pulse Connect Secure <9.1R8 that allows an attacker to crafted a URI to perform an arbitrary code execution via the admin web interface.","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"Pulse Connect Secure versions prior to 9.1R8 contain a code injection flaw in the admin web interface. An attacker who can reach that interface and hold high-privilege credentials can craft a URI to achieve arbitrary code execution, with no user interaction required.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-31T05:10:19Z"},"cvss":{"score":7.2,"severity":"HIGH","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.3225,"percentile":0.9832,"date":"2026-10-30","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2022-03-07","dueDate":"2022-09-07","ransomware":false,"requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","notes":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-8218","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2020-12-07","exploitedFirstSeen":"2020-12-07","ransomware":false,"evidence":[{"url":"https://www.avira.com/en/blog/a-gafgyt-variant-that-exploits-pulse-secure-cve-2020-8218","date":"2020-12-07"},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2022-03-07"},{"url":"https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/threat-intelligence/ivanti-post-exploitation-lateral-movement","date":"2024-04-04"}],"evidenceTotal":3,"provenance":"source"},"exploited":true,"otx":{"pulseCount":50,"pulses":[{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae20c1db17e7057ae7d9ad1","created":"2026-10-28"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae0ba7e0e2a97ff7b218819","created":"2026-10-27"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adf68b85c3e852f3c111d18","created":"2026-10-26"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adb740e397c3ad4799aa4cd","created":"2026-10-23"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ada236fcfba2dfa730ea482","created":"2026-10-22"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad8d33a077cbb5cab524d80","created":"2026-10-21"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 21, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad78130c4d1ac2be83a8b6d","created":"2026-10-20"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 20, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad62f63c24a405a3423cc13","created":"2026-10-19"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 19, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad4dda174e5797d0bd238b7","created":"2026-10-18"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 18, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad38c22e1848f8189d1c121","created":"2026-10-17"}],"provenance":"machine"},"cwes":[{"id":"CWE-94","name":"Improper Control of Generation of Code"}],"references":[{"url":"https://kb.pulsesecure.net/articles/Pulse_Security_Advisories/SA44516","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.gosecure.net/blog/2020/11/13/forget-your-perimeter-part-2-four-vulnerabilities-in-pulse-connect-secure/","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"https://kb.pulsesecure.net/articles/Pulse_Security_Advisories/SA44516","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.gosecure.net/blog/2020/11/13/forget-your-perimeter-part-2-four-vulnerabilities-in-pulse-connect-secure/","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-8218","tags":["US Government Resource"]}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1190","name":"Exploit Public-Facing Application","tactics":["initial-access"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: crafted URI against public-facing admin web interface","mappingType":"exploitation_technique","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"allows an attacker to crafted a URI to perform an arbitrary code execution via the admin web interface","start":74,"end":176}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"},{"id":"T1059","name":"Command and Scripting Interpreter","tactics":["execution"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: arbitrary code execution via injected URI","mappingType":"primary_impact","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"allows an attacker to crafted a URI to perform an arbitrary code execution","start":74,"end":148}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"}],"reports":[],"affected":[],"advisories":[],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2020-29091","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2020-29091","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2022-03-07","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[],"exploitSources":{"pocGithub":{"count":1,"skipped":0,"earliest":"2020-08-29","earliestUrl":"https://github.com/withdk/pulse-gosecure-rce-poc","repos":[{"name":"withdk/pulse-gosecure-rce-poc","url":"https://github.com/withdk/pulse-gosecure-rce-poc","stars":21,"created":"2020-08-29"}]},"first":{"date":"2020-08-29","source":"PoC-in-GitHub","url":"https://github.com/withdk/pulse-gosecure-rce-poc"},"provenance":"source"},"exploitRefs":["https://www.gosecure.net/blog/2020/11/13/forget-your-perimeter-part-2-four-vulnerabilities-in-pulse-connect-secure/"],"flow":[{"stage":"exploitation","techniques":["T1190"],"provenance":"ai"},{"stage":"primary","techniques":["T1059"],"provenance":"ai"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2020-07-30","kind":"published","label":"Published (NVD)","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-8218","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2020-08-29","kind":"exploit-public","label":"First public exploit: PoC-in-GitHub","url":"https://github.com/withdk/pulse-gosecure-rce-poc","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2020-12-07","kind":"exploited-reported","label":"Exploitation first reported (VulnCheck KEV evidence)","url":"https://www.avira.com/en/blog/a-gafgyt-variant-that-exploits-pulse-secure-cve-2020-8218","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2022-03-07","kind":"kev","label":"Added to CISA KEV","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2022-03-07","kind":"euvd-exploited","label":"ENISA EUVD: exploited","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2020-29091","provenance":"source"}],"speed":{"daysToPublicExploit":30,"firstExploitFrom":"PoC-in-GitHub","daysToKev":585},"priority":{"score":67.7,"factors":[{"name":"In a KEV catalog","points":35.0,"detail":"listed in CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV"},{"name":"Recent KEV listing","points":0.0,"detail":"added 2154 days ago"},{"name":"Known ransomware use","points":0.0,"detail":"not known"},{"name":"EPSS percentile","points":19.66,"detail":"percentile 0.9832"},{"name":"Named in threat reports","points":0.0,"detail":"0 reports"},{"name":"Public exploit code","points":5.0,"detail":"1 NVD reference tagged Exploit; 1 PoC-in-GitHub repo"},{"name":"Mentioned in OTX pulses","points":3.0,"detail":"50 pulses"},{"name":"CVSS severity","points":5.04,"detail":"base score 7.2"},{"name":"End-of-life product","points":0.0,"detail":"supported or unknown"}]}}