CVE-2020-13420
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedOpenIAM before 4.2.0.3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via Groovy Script.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceOpenIAM versions before 4.2.0.3 contain a vulnerability that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code through Groovy Script execution. This likely stems from insufficient validation or improper sandboxing of user-controlled Groovy script input, enabling unauthenticated remote code execution with critical severity impact.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data>= 4.1.0, < 4.2.0.3CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed OpenIAM versionLocate the version information in the OpenIAM configuration file, about page, or system administration panel. Common locations include the configuration XML files in the conf directory or the system information page in the web UI.Affected if The installed version is 4.1.0 or higher but lower than 4.2.0.3
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Verify Groovy script execution is accessibleCheck if the Groovy script execution endpoint or feature is enabled and accessible within the OpenIAM deployment. This may be found in the script management section of the administrative interface or in configuration files controlling script execution.Affected if Groovy script execution is enabled and exposed (no restriction or sandboxing in place)
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Confirm network accessibility of management interfacesDetermine if the OpenIAM management interfaces and Groovy script endpoints are reachable from untrusted networks. Use network scanning tools or review firewall rules to assess exposure.Affected if Management interfaces or Groovy script endpoints are exposed to untrusted/unauthenticated network access
You are affected if your OpenIAM version is between 4.1.0 and 4.2.0.3 (exclusive), Groovy script execution is enabled, and the interface is accessible to unauthenticated users.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped4.2.0.3
Upgrade to OpenIAM 4.2.0.3 or later. If immediate patching is not feasible, restrict network access to OpenIAM management interfaces and disable or heavily restrict Groovy script execution capabilities until the upgrade can be applied.
4.2.0.3 or later
- 1. Backup your current OpenIAM installation and database
- 2. Download OpenIAM version 4.2.0.3 or later from the official OpenIAM distribution
- 3. Stop the OpenIAM services
- 4. Upgrade the OpenIAM installation following the standard upgrade procedure for your deployment method
- 5. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the version number in the admin console
- 6. Test critical functionality to ensure the upgrade did not introduce issues
- 7. Restart all OpenIAM services
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,752.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-13420 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-13420 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data