How severe is CVE-2020-9480?

CVE-2020-9480 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10, rated CRITICAL. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2020-9480?

CVE-2020-9480 affects the following packages: org.apache.spark:spark-parent_2.11 (Maven), pyspark (PyPI). Ecosystems affected: Maven, PyPI.

How do I fix CVE-2020-9480?

Update org.apache.spark:spark-parent_2.11 to 2.4.6 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2020-9480 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2020-9480 in my Maven, PyPI dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.spark:spark-parent_2.11, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate CVE-2020-9480 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Put an independent control in front of the weakness: restrict the affected endpoint or interface to trusted networks, require an additional authentication factor or proxy-level check, and invalidate existing sessions and credentials in case the flaw has already been used.

Is CVE-2020-9480 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 2 known exploit references for CVE-2020-9480, 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-2020-9480?

CVE-2020-9480 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 29.4%, placing it in the 98th 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-2020-9480?

CVE-2020-9480 is classified as Missing Authentication (CWE-306). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

Is there exploit tooling available for CVE-2020-9480?

A Nuclei detection template exists for CVE-2020-9480, 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-2020-9480 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2020-9480 was published on June 23, 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🐍 PyPI

Not in CISA KEV

CRITICAL severity

CVE-2020-9480 — spark-parent_2.11

CRITICAL

CVE-2020-9480 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) Missing Authentication vulnerability in org.apache.spark:spark-parent_2.11. 2 public exploit or proof-of-concept references are indexed, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.apache.spark:spark-parent_2.11 — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Improper Authentication in Apache Spark

Also known asBIT-spark-2020-9480GHSA-wgx7-jwwm-cgjvPYSEC-2020-95

Published

Jun 23, 2020

Updated

Oct 24, 2026

Affected

2 pkgs

Patched

2 / 2

Exploits

2 known

Exploitation data as of Nov 3, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

29.4%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Moderate Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs98th percentile — riskier than 98% 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

2 pkgs affected

☕org.apache.spark:spark-parent_2.11🐍pyspark

Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven, PyPI packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.

Description

In Apache Spark 2.4.5 and earlier, a standalone resource manager's master may be configured to require authentication (spark.authenticate) via a shared secret. When enabled, however, a specially-crafted RPC to the master can succeed in starting an application's resources on the Spark cluster, even without the shared key. This can be leveraged to execute shell commands on the host machine. This does not affect Spark clusters using other resource managers (YARN, Mesos, etc).

Affected Packages

2 total 2 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.apache.spark:spark-parent_2.11`	all versions	2.4.6`org.apache.spark:spark-parent_2.11:2.4.6`
🐍PyPI	`pyspark`	all versions	2.4.6`pip install --upgrade 'pyspark==2.4.6'`

Affected Products

2 products · 2 configurations

Application

sparkapache

≤ 2.4.5

range

Application

business intelligenceoracle

1 version

5.5.0.0.0

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.

In Apache Spark 2.4.5 and earlier, a standalone resource manager's maste…

lists.apache.orgNVDApr 2022

Report on 1665891.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net

1665891.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.netAPIMay 2024

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.spark:spark-parent_2.11, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.spark:spark-parent_2.11 to 2.4.6 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2020-9480 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Put an independent control in front of the weakness: restrict the affected endpoint or interface to trusted networks, require an additional authentication factor or proxy-level check, and invalidate existing sessions and credentials in case the flaw has already been used.

How to detect CVE-2020-9480

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

nuclei -id cve-2020-9480 -u https://target

Template: Apache Spark - Authentication Bypass
Severity: critical
Impact: Attackers can execute arbitrary shell commands on the host machine, leading to full system compromise.
Remediation: Update to Spark 2.4.6 or later to fix the vulnerability.

Template by ProjectDiscovery nuclei-templates (riteshs4hu), MIT licensed. View the full template. Scan only systems you are authorised to test.

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2020-9480 in your dependencies?

Find it across Maven, PyPI, including transitive dependencies.

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