Debian LinuxOperating system · Debian
CVE-2020-5529
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 · uneditedHtmlUnit prior to 2.37.0 contains code execution vulnerabilities. HtmlUnit initializes Rhino engine improperly, hence a malicious JavScript code can execute arbitrary Java code on the application. Moreover, when embedded in Android application, Android-specific initialization of Rhino engine is done in an improper way, hence a malicious JavaScript code can execute arbitrary Java code on the application.
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 · high confidenceHtmlUnit versions prior to 2.37.0 improperly initialize the Rhino JavaScript engine, allowing malicious JavaScript code to execute arbitrary Java code on the host application. This affects both standard Java applications and Android applications that embed HtmlUnit.
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
Debian LinuxOperating system
= 9.0
Ubuntu LinuxOperating system
= 16.04
CamelApplication
all versions< 2.37.0CVSS 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
- High
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/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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Locate HtmlUnit in your project dependenciesSearch for HtmlUnit in your dependency management files (pom.xml, build.gradle, requirements.txt, package.json) and also check for htmlunit*.jar files in lib/ or WEB-INF/lib directoriesAffected if HtmlUnit is present as a direct or transitive dependency
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Identify the installed HtmlUnit versionCheck your dependency lock file (pom.xml, package-lock.json, gradle.lock) or inspect the htmlunit jar file name for the version numberAffected if The version is anything less than 2.37.0 (for example, 2.36.0, 2.35.0, etc.)
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Determine if your application executes JavaScript codeSearch your codebase for calls to webClient.getPage() followed by execution methods, or usage of HtmlUnit's JavaScript execution features such as jsExec, executeJavaScript, or script evaluation APIsAffected if Your application runs JavaScript within HtmlUnit (the vulnerability only triggers when JavaScript is executed)
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Verify the Rhino JavaScript engine is in useCheck if your application explicitly configures or defaults to the Rhino script engine (check for ScriptEngine initialization with 'rhino' or default JavaScript engine settings)Affected if The Rhino engine is used for JavaScript processing in HtmlUnit
You are affected if HtmlUnit versions prior to 2.37.0 are present AND your application executes untrusted JavaScript using the Rhino engine.
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.
From vendor data2.37.0
Upgrade HtmlUnit to version 2.37.0 or later, which contains the corrected Rhino engine initialization. Review any code that executes untrusted JavaScript within the application.
Fix this in Debian Linux
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,144.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-5529 — 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-2020-5529 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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