CVE-2020-17496
Confirmed PUBLISHEDvBulletin 5.5.4 through 5.6.2 allows remote command execution via crafted subWidgets data in an ajax/render/widget_tabbedcontainer_tab_panel...
Recommended Action
Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
At a Glance
vBulletin 5.5.4 through 5.6.2 allows remote command execution via crafted subWidgets data in an ajax/render/widget_tabbedcontainer_tab_panel request. NOTE: this issue exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2019-16759.
- CVE Published
- Aug 12, 2020
- Exploitation Reported
- Nov 03, 2021
- CVSS
- 9.8 Critical
- EPSS
- 87.7%
Affected Versions
| Vendor | Product | Version | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| n/a |
n/a
|
n/a |
Affected |
CVE References
- cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/78.html cwe.mitre.org · CVE Record https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/78.html
- blog.exploitee.rs/2020/exploiting-vbulletin-a-tale-of-patch-fail blog.exploitee.rs · CVE Record https://blog.exploitee.rs/2020/exploiting-vbulletin-a-tale-of-patch-f...
- forum.vbulletin.com/forum/vbulletin-announcements/vbulletin-anno... forum.vbulletin.com · CVE Record https://forum.vbulletin.com/forum/vbulletin-announcements/vbulletin-a...
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/Aug/5 seclists.org · CVE Record https://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/Aug/5
Recommended Actions
- Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
- Check enrichment artifacts for scanner coverage and available PoCs before rolling remediation validation.
- Use the Pro API to automate enrichment, telemetry, and workflow delivery for VM, SOC, and CTI pipelines.
Known Exploited Vulnerability Sources
Catalogues that list this CVE as a known exploited vulnerability.
Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the KEVIntel Pro API.
Learn about Pro API access| Source | Added |
|---|---|
| CISA First | 2021-11-03 00:00 UTC |
| The Shadowserver | 2026-05-30 00:00 UTC |
Scanner Artifacts
Nuclei and Metasploit references linked to this CVE.
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclei | https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2020/CVE-2020-17496.yaml | Apr 25, 2025 |
| Metasploit | https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/multi/http/vbulletin_widget_template_rce.rb | Apr 28, 2025 |
Virtual Patch
Compensating WAF rules to help reduce exposure to this CVE. Rule content and deployable vendor exports are available with KEVIntel Enterprise.
KEVIntel does not currently have a virtual patch for this CVE. When available, KEVIntel virtual patches ship as deployable ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF rules.
Enterprise feature. Virtual patch rule content and deployable vendor exports (ModSecurity, Cloudflare, AWS WAF) are available to KEVIntel Enterprise users.
CVSS Scores
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Exploitation Status
Exploited in the wild
Recorded 2021-11-03 00:00:00 UTC · CISA
Proof of concept available
Recorded 2020-08-20 12:20:03 UTC · GitHub
Weaknesses (CWE)
-
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')
Scanner Integrations
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit | https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/multi/http/vbulletin_widget_template_rce.rb | Apr 28, 2025 |
| Nuclei | https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2020/CVE-2020-17496.yaml | Apr 25, 2025 |
Potential Proof of Concepts
These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.
github · Created 2020-08-20 12:20:03 UTC · 1 stars
nuclei · Created Unknown
Timeline
Key exploitation, disclosure, scanner coverage, and KEV attestation events for this CVE.
-
00:00 UTC about 2 months ago00:00 UTC · about 2 months ago
KEV confirmed by The Shadowserver
Exploitation attested by an external source
-
15:02 UTC about 1 year ago15:02 UTC · about 1 year ago
Metasploit module available
Exploit module available
-
00:00 UTC about 1 year ago00:00 UTC · about 1 year ago
Nuclei template available
Scanner coverage available
-
00:00 UTC over 4 years ago00:00 UTC · over 4 years ago
Added to CISA KEV
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
-
12:20 UTC almost 6 years ago12:20 UTC · almost 6 years ago
Public PoC available
Public proof-of-concept code published
-
13:07 UTC almost 6 years ago13:07 UTC · almost 6 years ago
CVE published
Vulnerability disclosed publicly
-
00:00 UTC almost 6 years ago00:00 UTC · almost 6 years ago
CVE ID reserved
Identifier reserved by the CNA
Automate This Intelligence with the Pro API
Confidence scoring, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.
Pro API Example
GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2020-17496
{
"cve_id": "CVE-2020-17496",
"title": "vBulletin 5.5.4 through 5.6.2 allows remote command execution via crafted sub...",
"affected_vendor": "vBulletin",
"affected_product": "vBulletin",
"affected_versions": [
{ "vendor": "...", "product": "...", "status": "affected", "display_label": "..." }
],
"confidence": "Confirmed",
"cvss_score": 9.8,
"epss_score": 0.8774,
"exploit_status": {
"exploited_in_the_wild": true,
"active_exploitation_observed": false
},
"sensor_telemetry": { "...": "Pro API fields" },
"proof_of_concepts": [ "..." ],
"scanner_integrations": [ "..." ]
}