How severe is CVE-2020-7209?

CVE-2020-7209 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10, rated CRITICAL. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2020-7209?

Affected package information for CVE-2020-7209 is not yet fully mapped. Check the official advisory links for details.

How do I fix CVE-2020-7209?

Upgrade the affected component to the fixed release for CVE-2020-7209, or apply your distribution's backported patch — distro builds are often patched at an older version number, so check your vendor's advisory rather than the upstream version alone.

How do I detect CVE-2020-7209 in my code and dependencies?

Identify every host running the affected component and compare the installed build against the fixed version below — for source-built or distro-packaged software the version string, not a lockfile, is the source of truth (`dpkg -l`, `rpm -q`, or the binary's own `--version`).

How do I mitigate CVE-2020-7209 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-2020-7209 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 6 known exploit references for CVE-2020-7209, including 1 documented proof-of-concept exploit on Exploit-DB and 5 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-2020-7209?

CVE-2020-7209 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 98.8%, placing it in the 100th 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. A score above 50% indicates significantly elevated exploitation risk — immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Is there exploit tooling available for CVE-2020-7209?

A Nuclei detection template exists for CVE-2020-7209, meaning automated scanners can fingerprint it. Public exploit tooling significantly increases real-world risk — prioritize patching and ensure detection coverage. Exploit tooling should only ever be used in isolated, authorized testing environments.

When was CVE-2020-7209 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2020-7209 was published on February 13, 2020 and was last updated on October 20, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

🛡️

Not in CISA KEV

CRITICAL severity

CVE-2020-7209 — linuxki

CRITICAL

CVE-2020-7209 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) remote code execution vulnerability. 6 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Published

Feb 13, 2020

Updated

Oct 20, 2026

Affected

1 product

Patched

See advisory

Exploits

6 known

Exploitation data as of Oct 22, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

98.8%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Very High Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs100th percentile — riskier than 100% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

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

How urgent is this, really

CVE-2020-7209 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). In the shaded patch-first corner (EPSS 50%+, CVSS 7.0+).

Where this sits among everything scored

Of 394,803 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the ≥ 90% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.

Description

LinuxKI v6.0-1 and earlier is vulnerable to an remote code execution which is resolved in release 6.0-2.

Affected Products

1 product · 1 configurations

Application

linuxkihp

< 6.0-2

range

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.

EDB-48483remotemultiple

HP LinuxKI 6.01 - Remote Command Injection

by Cody Winkler · May 18, 2020

Exploit-DB Source

Detection & mitigation playbook

Vulnerability

Detect
Identify every host running the affected component and compare the installed build against the fixed version below — for source-built or distro-packaged software the version string, not a lockfile, is the source of truth (`dpkg -l`, `rpm -q`, or the binary's own `--version`).
Fix
Upgrade the affected component to the fixed release for CVE-2020-7209, or apply your distribution's backported patch — distro builds are often patched at an older version number, so check your vendor's advisory rather than the upstream version alone.
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 to detect CVE-2020-7209

A community-maintained Nuclei template exists for this CVE. You can scan for it directly:

nuclei -id cve-2020-7209 -u https://target

Template: LinuxKI Toolset <= 6.01 - Remote Command Execution
Severity: critical
Impact: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the target system.
Remediation: This is resolved in release 6.0-2.

Template by ProjectDiscovery nuclei-templates (dwisiswant0), MIT licensed. View the full template. Scan only systems you are authorised to test.

Frequently Asked Questions

LinuxKI v6.0-1 and earlier is vulnerable to an remote code execution which is resolved in release 6.0-2.

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

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