{"id":"CVE-2020-8218","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2020-8218"],"related":[],"title":"Pulse Secure Pulse Connect Secure: Pulse Connect Secure Code Injection Vulnerability","description":"A code injection vulnerability exists in Pulse Connect Secure that allows an attacker to crafted a URI to perform an arbitrary code execution via the admin web interface.\n\nCISA required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.","summary":"Command injection in downloadlicenses.cgi of the Pulse Connect Secure (and Policy Secure) admin web interface lets an authenticated admin run arbitrary code. Because reflected XSS bugs (CVE-2020-8238, and one in the same endpoint) exist, an attacker can trick a logged-in admin into triggering it via a link. CVSS 3.1 AV:N/PR:H (NVD 7.2 high). Fixed in 9.1R8 (Vendor advisory SA44516, July 2020). On CISA KEV since 2022-03-07; CISA SSVC marks exploitation as active.","severity":"critical","cvss":7.2,"epss":0.3225,"exploited":true,"exploited_at":"2022-03-07T00:00:00+00:00","products":[{"name":"Pulse Secure Pulse Connect Secure","fixed":[],"affected":"","ecosystem":"vendor"},{"name":"Pulse Connect Secure","fixed":["9.1R8"],"affected":"< 9.1R8","ecosystem":"vendor"},{"name":"Pulse Policy Secure","fixed":["9.1R8"],"affected":"< 9.1R8","ecosystem":"vendor"}],"ecosystems":["vendor"],"tags":["exploited","ivanti-connect-secure","pulse-connect-secure","self-hosted","vendor","vpn-appliance"],"not_affected_if":["managed-hosting","not-pulse-connect-secure"],"how_to_check":"In the admin console go to System > Maintenance > Version (or the Pulse Secure admin dashboard) and read the PCS/PPS version. Anything earlier than 9.1R8 (all 9.0 and older, and 9.1R1 to 9.1R7) is affected. Also check whether /dana-admin/ is reachable from the internet; if so, restrict it to a management network. Exposure from the internet is not confirmed by the sources.","fix":"Upgrade Pulse Connect Secure (and Policy Secure) to 9.1R8 or later; later releases such as 9.1R9 fix further bugs, so prefer the latest 9.1R release. Restrict admin interface access to a management network and rotate admin credentials if the appliance was exposed unpatched.","status":"open","published_at":"2020-07-30T13:15:11+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:52+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-10-23T21:23:58+00:00","updated_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","category":"vendor","confidence":0.8,"triage":{"at":"2026-10-23T21:23:58Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","output":{"fix":"Apply the vendor update per Pulse Secure instructions; CISA's KEV entry directs federal agencies to do so. Specific fixed version: unknown","reach":"unknown","impact":"high","summary":"Pulse Connect Secure, a VPN appliance, has a code injection flaw in its admin web interface. A crafted URI lets an attacker run arbitrary code on the device.","category":"vendor","who_cares":["pulse-connect-secure","vpn-appliance","self-hosted"],"confidence":0.6,"needs_auth":"unknown","worst_case":"Attacker runs arbitrary code on the VPN appliance via admin interface","analyst_note":"Find the fixed Pulse Connect Secure version and whether the admin interface is reachable from the internet, using the vendor advisory for CVE-2020-8218.","how_to_check":"unknown","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":["not-pulse-connect-secure"],"user_interaction":"no","needs_special_setup":"unknown","severity_if_unknown":"critical"},"cost_usd":0.000469,"input_tokens":2851,"output_tokens":367,"severity_before":"unknown"},"analyst_status":"done","analyst_note":"Find the fixed Pulse Connect Secure version and whether the admin interface is reachable from the internet, using the vendor advisory for CVE-2020-8218.","search":"'-03':118B '-07':119B '-2020':13A,16A,72B '-8218':14A,17A '-8238':73B '2020':112B '2022':117B '3.1':97B '7.2':102B '9.1':106B 'action':156C 'activ':125B 'admin':57B,63B,89B,151C 'advisori':109B 'allow':136C 'appli':157C 'applianc':44B 'arbitrari':65B,146C 'attack':82B,138C 'authent':62B 'av':98B 'bug':70B 'cisa':114B,120B,154C 'code':9A,66B,127C,147C 'command':45B 'connect':4A,7A,21A,24A,32B,36B,52B,133C 'craft':140C 'cve':12A,15A,71B 'cvss':96B 'downloadlicenses.cgi':48B 'endpoint':79B 'execut':148C 'exist':80B,130C 'exploit':29B,123B 'fix':104B 'h':100B 'high':103B 'host':40B 'inject':10A,46B,128C 'instruct':161C 'interfac':59B,153C 'ivanti':31B 'ivanti-connect-secur':30B 'juli':111B 'kev':115B 'let':60B 'link':95B 'log':87B 'logged-in':86B 'mark':122B 'n/pr':99B 'nvd':101B 'one':75B 'per':159C 'perform':144C 'polici':55B 'policy':27A 'puls':1A,3A,6A,35B,51B,132C 'pulse':18A,20A,23A,26A 'pulse-connect-secur':34B 'r8':107B 'reflect':68B 'requir':155C 'run':64B 'sa44516':110B 'secur':2A,5A,8A,33B,37B,53B,56B,134C 'secure':19A,22A,25A,28A 'self':39B 'self-host':38B 'sinc':116B 'ssvc':121B 'trick':84B 'trigger':91B 'updat':158C 'uri':142C 'vendor':41B,108B,160C 'via':93B,149C 'vpn':43B 'vpn-applianc':42B 'vulner':11A,129C 'web':58B,152C 'xss':69B","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":null,"tier":null,"verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"first_public_at":"2020-07-30T13:15:11+00:00","kev":{"dateAdded":"2022-03-07","dueDate":"2022-09-07","requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","knownRansomwareCampaignUse":"Unknown"},"cvss_vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","cvss_by":"nvd@nist.gov","poc_count":0,"sources":[{"source":"kev","external_id":"CVE-2020-8218","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2020-8218","severity":null,"published_at":"2022-03-07T00:00:00+00:00","modified_at":null,"first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:52+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-25T11:39:17+00:00","note":null},{"source":"epss","external_id":"CVE-2020-8218","url":"https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-8218","severity":null,"published_at":null,"modified_at":null,"first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:13:44+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-23T19:13:44+00:00","note":null},{"source":"analyst","external_id":"CVE-2020-8218:70","url":null,"severity":null,"published_at":"2026-10-23T21:24:52+00:00","modified_at":"2026-10-23T21:24:52+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T21:24:52+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-23T21:24:52+00:00","note":"Vendor KB SA44516 would not load (JS-only), so fixed version taken from NVD (cites SA44516), CERT-FR, Tenable: fixed in 9.1R8. GoSecure gives root cause (downloadlicenses.cgi in admin portal). Exposure of admin interface to the internet not determinable from sources; exploitation per CISA KEV/SSVC; no standalone PoC link beyond GoSecure writeup."},{"source":"nvd","external_id":"CVE-2020-8218","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-8218","severity":null,"published_at":"2020-07-30T13:15:11+00:00","modified_at":"2026-06-17T03:26:04+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","note":null}],"documents":[{"id":995,"url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-8218","title":"NVD CVE-2020-8218 (cites vendor SA44516)","kind":"advisory","source":"analyst","text":null,"published_at":null,"relation":"advisory","confidence":null,"note":null},{"id":996,"url":"https://www.gosecure.net/blog/2020/11/13/forget-your-perimeter-part-2-four-vulnerabilities-in-pulse-connect-secure/","title":"GoSecure: Forget Your Perimeter Part 2 (CVE-2020-8218 technical analysis)","kind":"blog","source":"analyst","text":null,"published_at":null,"relation":"describes","confidence":null,"note":null},{"id":998,"url":"https://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/139225","title":"Tenable: Pulse Connect Secure < 9.1R8 (SA44516)","kind":"other","source":"analyst","text":null,"published_at":null,"relation":"fix","confidence":null,"note":null},{"id":999,"url":"https://cert.cyber.gouv.fr/avis/CERTFR-2020-AVI-463","title":"CERT-FR CERTFR-2020-AVI-463 (summarises SA44516)","kind":"advisory","source":"analyst","text":null,"published_at":null,"relation":"advisory","confidence":null,"note":null}],"notice":"Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai"}