dbcve.org
ExpressionengineApplication

CVE-2020-8242

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-02-18
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 5.4.0 or later.
See remediation →
78/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable Zero-click

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 · unedited
Unsanitized user input in ExpressionEngine <= 5.4.0 control panel member creation leads to an SQL injection. The user needs member creation/admin control panel access to execute the attack.

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 confidence

An SQL injection vulnerability in ExpressionEngine's control panel member creation function allows authenticated users with member creation or admin privileges to inject malicious SQL queries through unsanitized user input.

MitigationUpgrade ExpressionEngine to version 5.4.1 or later which contains the patched code.

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
ExpressionengineApplication
Affected:<= 5.4.0

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed ExpressionEngine version
    Locate and read the ExpressionEngine version file or access the control panel footer which typically displays the version number. Common locations include a version.php file or the CP homepage.
    Affected if The installed version is 5.4.0 or earlier (any version <= 5.4.0)
  2. Verify member creation functionality is accessible
    Log into the ExpressionEngine control panel and navigate to the Members section where new member accounts can be created. Confirm the member creation form exists and is accessible.
    Affected if The member creation form in the control panel is present and reachable
  3. Confirm user privilege level
    Check the permissions of the logged-in account by reviewing the member's role or group settings in the control panel under Member Management or Settings.
    Affected if The account has member creation privileges or full admin privileges
  4. Inspect member creation parameters
    Access the member creation form in the control panel and examine the input fields available when creating a new member. Note any fields that accept user-supplied input without apparent sanitization.
    Affected if Input fields in the member creation form accept user-supplied data that could be used for SQL injection

A system is affected if it runs ExpressionEngine version 5.4.0 or earlier AND has the member creation function accessible to users with member creation or admin privileges.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 5.4.0
Interim mitigation

Upgrade ExpressionEngine to version 5.4.1 or later which contains the patched code.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

ExpressionEngine 5.4.1 or later (recommended: latest stable 5.x or 6.x release)

  1. 1. Back up your ExpressionEngine database and files before making any changes
  2. 2. Download the latest stable version of ExpressionEngine from the official expressionengine.com website
  3. 3. Review the ExpressionEngine upgrade instructions for your specific migration path
  4. 4. Upload the new version files, replacing the existing installation
  5. 5. Run any database migrations required by the new version
  6. 6. Test member creation functionality in the control panel to verify the fix
  7. 7. Verify that the application functions correctly after the upgrade
Caveat Review ExpressionEngine release notes for version-specific breaking changes between 5.4.0 and the target upgrade version; major version jumps may include template and add-on compatibility changes

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Expressionengine Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,088.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-8242 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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