How severe is CVE-2020-11977?

CVE-2020-11977 has a CVSS score of 7.2/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2020-11977?

CVE-2020-11977 affects the following packages: org.apache.syncope:syncope (Maven). Ecosystems affected: Maven.

How do I fix CVE-2020-11977?

Update org.apache.syncope:syncope to 2.1.7 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2020-11977 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2020-11977 in my Maven dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.syncope:syncope, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate CVE-2020-11977 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

Is CVE-2020-11977 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2020-11977 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2020-11977?

CVE-2020-11977 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 2.9%, placing it in the 86th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

When was CVE-2020-11977 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2020-11977 was published on September 15, 2020 and was last updated on July 8, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

☕

☕ Maven

Not in CISA KEV

HIGH severity

CVE-2020-11977 — syncope

HIGH

CVE-2020-11977 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.2) remote code execution vulnerability in org.apache.syncope:syncope. A fix is available for org.apache.syncope:syncope — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Shell command injection in Apache Syncope

Also known asGHSA-p2rp-cmjq-r7wm

Published

Sep 15, 2020

Updated

Jul 8, 2026

Affected

1 pkg

Patched

1 / 1

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Oct 7, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

2.9%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs86th percentile — riskier than 86% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

How urgent is this, really

CVE-2020-11977 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.

Where this sits among everything scored

Of 385,738 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.

Real-World Exposure

1 pkg affected

☕org.apache.syncope:syncope

Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.

Description

In Apache Syncope 2.1.X releases prior to 2.1.7, when the Flowable extension is enabled, an administrator with workflow entitlements can use Shell Service Tasks to perform malicious operations, including but not limited to file read, file write, and code execution.

Affected Packages

1 total 1 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.apache.syncope:syncope`	≥ 2.1.0&&< 2.1.7	2.1.7`org.apache.syncope:syncope:2.1.7`

Affected Products

1 product · 1 configurations

Application

syncopeapache

≥ 2.1.0 && < 2.1.7

range

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.syncope:syncope, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.syncope:syncope to 2.1.7 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2020-11977 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

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