CVE-2020-5245 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.8) CWE-74 vulnerability in io.dropwizard:dropwizard-validation. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2020-5245 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in dropwizard-validation
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2020-5245.
Real-World Exposure
io.dropwizard:dropwizard-validation☕io.dropwizard:dropwizard-validationReal-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
Dropwizard-Validation before 1.3.19, and 2.0.2 may allow arbitrary code execution on the host system, with the privileges of the Dropwizard service account, by injecting arbitrary Java Expression Language expressions when using the self-validating feature.
The issue has been fixed in dropwizard-validation 1.3.19 and 2.0.2.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | io.dropwizard:dropwizard-validation | ≥ 1.3.0-rc1&&< 1.3.19 | 1.3.19 |
| ☕Maven | io.dropwizard:dropwizard-validation | ≥ 2.0.0&&< 2.0.2 | 2.0.2 |
Research 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 io.dropwizard:dropwizard-validation. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update io.dropwizard:dropwizard-validation to 1.3.19 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2020-5245 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.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2020-5245 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2020-5245. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2020-5245 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2020-5245 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.