CVE-2020-13948 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.8) vulnerability in apache-superset. A fix is available for apache-superset — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Apache Superset OS Command Injection
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
Real-World Exposure
apache-supersetReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects PyPI packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
While investigating a bug report on Apache Superset, it was determined that an authenticated user could craft requests via a number of templated text fields in the product that would allow arbitrary access to Python’s os package in the web application process in versions < 0.37.1. It was thus possible for an authenticated user to list and access files, environment variables, and process information. Additionally it was possible to set environment variables for the current process, create and update files in folders writable by the web process, and execute arbitrary programs accessible by the web process. All other operations available to the os package in Python were also available, even if not explicitly enumerated in this CVE.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | apache-superset | all versions | 0.37.1pip install --upgrade 'apache-superset==0.37.1' |
Affected Products
supersetapacheDetection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for apache-superset, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update apache-superset to 0.37.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2020-13948 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
Is CVE-2020-13948 in your dependencies?
Find it across PyPI, including transitive dependencies.