CVE-2020-5741
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 · uneditedDeserialization of Untrusted Data in Plex Media Server on Windows allows a remote, authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary Python code.
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 confidenceThis is a deserialization vulnerability (CWE-502) in Plex Media Server on Windows platforms. A remote, authenticated attacker can exploit unsafe deserialization of untrusted data to achieve arbitrary Python code execution, effectively gaining remote code execution (RCE) on the affected server.
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< 1.19.3CVSS 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
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/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.
-
Verify Plex Media Server is running on WindowsOpen Services.msc and look for 'PlexService', or check for the Plex Media Server process in Task Manager, or inspect the installation directory at C:\Program Files\Plex\Plex Media ServerAffected if Plex Media Server is installed and running on Windows operating system
-
Find installed Plex Media Server versionCheck the Windows Registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Plex, Inc.\Plex Media Server\ for the 'Version' value, or view the version in Programs and Features (Add or Remove Programs), or run 'PlexDlnaServer.exe -v' from the installation folderAffected if Installed version cannot be determined or is lower than 1.19.3
-
Confirm remote access is enabledAccess Plex Media Server web interface by navigating to http://localhost:32400/web or the configured remote URL. Check if the server is bound to a network-accessible IP rather than localhost onlyAffected if The web interface is accessible from network addresses and version is below 1.19.3
You are affected if Plex Media Server is installed on Windows with a version lower than 1.19.3 and the web interface is network-accessible.
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 · scoped1.19.3
Apply the vendor-supplied patch for Plex Media Server. In the interim, restrict network access to the Plex management interface to trusted IPs only and monitor for suspicious authentication activity.
Plex Media Server 1.19.3 or later
- Check current Plex Media Server version via the server dashboard or system information
- Navigate to the official Plex downloads page (plex.tv/downloads) or use the Plex Media Server automatic update feature
- Download the latest Plex Media Server version (1.19.3 or later) for your operating system
- Stop the Plex Media Server service before upgrading (optional but recommended for Windows installations)
- Run the installer and follow the prompts to upgrade the software
- Restart the Plex Media Server service if it was stopped
- Verify the installed version is 1.19.3 or higher via the server dashboard
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 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 $1,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-5741 — 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-2020-5741 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- 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