CVE-2019-20920 Vulnerability Analysis & Exploit Details

CVE-2019-20920
Vulnerability Scoring

8.1
/10
Severe Risk

Cybersecurity professionals consider CVE-2019-20920 an immediate threat requiring urgent mitigation.

Attack Complexity Details

  • Attack Complexity: High
    Exploits require significant effort and special conditions.
  • Attack Vector: Network
    Vulnerability is exploitable over a network without physical access.
  • Privileges Required: None
    No privileges are required for exploitation.
  • Scope: Changed
    Successful exploitation can impact components beyond the vulnerable component.
  • User Interaction: None
    No user interaction is necessary for exploitation.

CVE-2019-20920 Details

Status: Analyzed

Last updated: 🕠 15 Oct 2020, 17:35 UTC
Originally published on: 🕕 30 Sep 2020, 18:15 UTC

Time between publication and last update: 14 days

CVSS Release: version 3

CVSS3 Source

nvd@nist.gov

CVSS3 Type

Primary

CVSS3 Vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L

CVE-2019-20920 Vulnerability Summary

CVE-2019-20920: Handlebars before 3.0.8 and 4.x before 4.5.3 is vulnerable to Arbitrary Code Execution. The lookup helper fails to properly validate templates, allowing attackers to submit templates that execute arbitrary JavaScript. This can be used to run arbitrary code on a server processing Handlebars templates or in a victim's browser (effectively serving as XSS).

Assessing the Risk of CVE-2019-20920

Access Complexity Graph

The exploitability of CVE-2019-20920 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).

Exploitability Analysis for CVE-2019-20920

CVE-2019-20920 presents a challenge to exploit due to its high attack complexity, but the absence of privilege requirements still makes it a viable target for skilled attackers. A thorough security review is advised.

Understanding AC and PR

A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.

Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.

Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.

CVSS Score Breakdown Chart

Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2019-20920, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.

CIA Impact Analysis

Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2019-20920, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.

  • Confidentiality: High
    Exploiting CVE-2019-20920 can result in unauthorized access to sensitive data, severely compromising data privacy.
  • Integrity: Low
    Exploiting CVE-2019-20920 may cause minor changes to data without severely impacting its accuracy.
  • Availability: Low
    CVE-2019-20920 may slightly degrade system performance without fully affecting service availability.

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

The EPSS score estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the near future.

EPSS Score: 1.186% (probability of exploit)

EPSS Percentile: 85.25% (lower percentile = lower relative risk)
This vulnerability is less risky than approximately 14.75% of others.

CVE-2019-20920 References

External References

CWE Common Weakness Enumeration

CWE-94

CAPEC Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification

  • Code Injection CAPEC-242 An adversary exploits a weakness in input validation on the target to inject new code into that which is currently executing. This differs from code inclusion in that code inclusion involves the addition or replacement of a reference to a code file, which is subsequently loaded by the target and used as part of the code of some application.
  • Leverage Executable Code in Non-Executable Files CAPEC-35 An attack of this type exploits a system's trust in configuration and resource files. When the executable loads the resource (such as an image file or configuration file) the attacker has modified the file to either execute malicious code directly or manipulate the target process (e.g. application server) to execute based on the malicious configuration parameters. Since systems are increasingly interrelated mashing up resources from local and remote sources the possibility of this attack occurring is high.
  • Manipulating User-Controlled Variables CAPEC-77 This attack targets user controlled variables (DEBUG=1, PHP Globals, and So Forth). An adversary can override variables leveraging user-supplied, untrusted query variables directly used on the application server without any data sanitization. In extreme cases, the adversary can change variables controlling the business logic of the application. For instance, in languages like PHP, a number of poorly set default configurations may allow the user to override variables.

Vulnerable Configurations

  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:0.9.0:prerelease4:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:0.9.0:prerelease4:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.0:-:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.0:-:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.0:rc1:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.0:rc1:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.0:rc2:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.0:rc2:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.0:rc3:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.0:rc3:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.0:rc4:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.0:rc4:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.0:beta1:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.0:beta1:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.5:beta:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.5:beta:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.6:-:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.6:-:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.6-2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.6-2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.6:beta:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.6:beta:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.7:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.7:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.8:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.8:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.9:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.9:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.10:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.10:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.11:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.11:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.12:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.0.12:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.1.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.1.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.1.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.1.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.1.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.1.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.2.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.2.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.2.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.2.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.3.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:1.3.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:2.0.0:-:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:2.0.0:-:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:2.0.0:beta1:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:2.0.0:beta1:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:2.0.0:alpha1:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:2.0.0:alpha1:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:2.0.0:alpha2:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:2.0.0:alpha2:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:2.0.0:alpha3:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:2.0.0:alpha3:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:2.0.0:alpha4:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:2.0.0:alpha4:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:3.0.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:3.0.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:3.0.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:3.0.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:3.0.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:3.0.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:3.0.3:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:3.0.3:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:3.0.4:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:3.0.4:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:3.0.5:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:3.0.5:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:3.0.6:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:3.0.6:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:3.0.7:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:3.0.7:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.13-0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.13-0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.3:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.3:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.4:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.4:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.5:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.5:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.6:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.6:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.7:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.7:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.8:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.8:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.9:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.9:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.10:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.10:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.11:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.11:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.12:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.12:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.13:-:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.13:-:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.13:beta0:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.13:beta0:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.14:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.0.14:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.1.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.1.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.1.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.1.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.1.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.1.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.1.2-0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.1.2-0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.2.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.2.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.2.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.2.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.2.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.2.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.3.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.3.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.3.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.3.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.3.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.3.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.3.3:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.3.3:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.3.4:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.3.4:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.3.5:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.3.5:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.4.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.4.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.4.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.4.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.4.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.4.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.4.3:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.4.3:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.4.4:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.4.4:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.4.5:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.4.5:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.5.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.5.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.5.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.5.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.5.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:handlebarsjs:handlebars:4.5.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*

Protect Your Infrastructure against CVE-2019-20920: Combat Critical CVE Threats

Stay updated with real-time CVE vulnerabilities and take action to secure your systems. Enhance your cybersecurity posture with the latest threat intelligence and mitigation techniques. Develop the skills necessary to defend against CVEs and secure critical infrastructures. Join the top cybersecurity professionals safeguarding today's infrastructures.

Other 5 Recently Published CVEs Vulnerabilities

  • CVE-2025-1507 – The ShareThis Dashboard for Google Analytics plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability ch...
  • CVE-2024-8176 – A stack overflow vulnerability exists in the libexpat library due to the way it handles recursive entity expansion in XML documents. When parsing a...
  • CVE-2025-1526 – The DethemeKit for Elementor plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the De Product Display Widget (countdown feature...
  • CVE-2024-13407 – The Omnipress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 1.5.4 via the megamenu block due to ...
  • CVE-2024-13321 – The AnalyticsWP plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to SQL Injection via the 'custom_sql' parameter in all versions up to, and including, 2.0.0 due ...