How severe is CVE-2020-13954?

CVE-2020-13954 has a CVSS score of 6.1/10, rated MEDIUM. Review your exposure and patch according to your risk tolerance.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2020-13954?

CVE-2020-13954 affects the following packages: org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf (Maven), org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf (Maven), org.apache.cxf:cxf (Maven), org.apache.cxf:cxf (Maven). Ecosystems affected: Maven.

How do I fix CVE-2020-13954?

Update org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf to 3.3.8 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2020-13954 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2020-13954 in my Maven dependencies?

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

How do I mitigate CVE-2020-13954 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Escape or sanitise the affected output on the server side rather than relying on client-side filtering, and add a Content-Security-Policy that blocks inline script execution so injected markup cannot run even if it reaches the page.

Is CVE-2020-13954 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 2 known exploit references for CVE-2020-13954, including 2 in-the-wild exploitations observed on GitHub and other sources. Treat this as actively exploitable and prioritize patching immediately. All exploit code should only be run in an isolated sandbox environment for research or authorized testing — never against production systems without explicit written authorization.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2020-13954?

CVE-2020-13954 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 40.9%, placing it in the 99th 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 warrants monitoring and prompt remediation.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2020-13954?

CVE-2020-13954 is classified as Cross-site Scripting (XSS) (CWE-79). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation. This is a high-impact weakness class that often enables remote code execution or data exposure.

When was CVE-2020-13954 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2020-13954 was published on November 12, 2020 and was last updated on October 24, 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

MEDIUM severity

CVE-2020-13954 — apache-cxf

MEDIUM

CVE-2020-13954 is a medium-severity (CVSS 6.1) Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf. 2 public exploit or proof-of-concept references are indexed, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Cross-site scripting in Apache CXF

Also known asGHSA-64x2-gq24-75pv

Published

Nov 12, 2020

Updated

Oct 24, 2026

Affected

4 pkgs

Patched

4 / 4

Exploits

2 known

Exploitation data as of Nov 10, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

40.9%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

High Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs99th percentile — riskier than 99% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

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

4 pkgs affected

☕org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf☕org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf☕org.apache.cxf:cxf☕org.apache.cxf:cxf

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

By default, Apache CXF creates a /services page containing a listing of the available endpoint names and addresses. This webpage is vulnerable to a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attack via the styleSheetPath, which allows a malicious actor to inject javascript into the web page. This vulnerability affects all versions of Apache CXF prior to 3.4.1 and 3.3.8. Please note that this is a separate issue to CVE-2019-17573.

Affected Packages

4 total 4 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf`	all versions	3.3.8`org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf:3.3.8`
☕Maven	`org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf`	≥ 3.4.0&&< 3.4.1	3.4.1`org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf:3.4.1`
☕Maven	`org.apache.cxf:cxf`	all versions	3.3.8`org.apache.cxf:cxf:3.3.8`
☕Maven	`org.apache.cxf:cxf`	≥ 3.4.0&&< 3.4.1	3.4.1`org.apache.cxf:cxf:3.4.1`

Affected Products

6 products · 11 configurations

Application

cxfapache

≥ 3.4.0 && < 3.4.1

range

Application

snap creator frameworknetapp

all

Application

vasa provider for clustered data ontapnetapp

≥ 9.6

range

Application

business intelligenceoracle

4 versions

5.5.0.0.05.9.0.0.012.2.1.3.012.2.1.4.0

communications messaging serveroracle

2 versions

8.0.28.1

Application

retail order broker cloud serviceoracle

1 version

15.0

Exploits & PoCs

Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.

By default, Apache CXF creates a /services page containing a listing of …

lists.apache.orgNVDJun 2021

Report on lists.apache.org

lists.apache.orgNVDJun 2021

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.cxf:apache-cxf, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf to 3.3.8 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2020-13954 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Escape or sanitise the affected output on the server side rather than relying on client-side filtering, and add a Content-Security-Policy that blocks inline script execution so injected markup cannot run even if it reaches the page.

Fixing This On Your OS

If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.

Red HatModerate

Workaround published by Red Hat

Users can disable the service listing altogether by setting the "hide-service-list-page" servlet parameter to "true".

Source: Red Hat security advisory for CVE-2020-13954 (CC BY 4.0)

Product	Fixed in	Advisory
Red Hat Fuse 7.9	`cxf-core`	RHSA-2021:3140
Red Hat Integration	see advisory	RHSA-2021:3205

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2020-13954 in your dependencies?

Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.

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CVE-2020-13954 — apache-cxf

EPSS Exploitation Probability

How urgent is this, really

Where this sits among everything scored

Real-World Exposure

Description

Affected Packages

Affected Products

Detection & mitigation playbook

Detect

Fix

Workarounds

Fixing This On Your OS

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CVE-2020-13954 in your dependencies?