CVE-2020-28468 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) CWE-74 vulnerability in pwntools. 2 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for pwntools — see the affected versions and patch details below.
pwntools Server-Side Template Injection (SSTI) vulnerability
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2020-28468 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
pwntoolsReal-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
This affects the package pwntools before 4.3.1. The shellcraft generator for affected versions of this module are vulnerable to Server-Side Template Injection (SSTI), which can lead to remote code execution.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | pwntools | all versions | 4.3.1pip install --upgrade 'pwntools==4.3.1' |
Affected Products
pwntoolspwntools_projectResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for pwntools, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update pwntools to 4.3.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2020-28468 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-2020-28468 in your dependencies?
Find it across PyPI, including transitive dependencies.