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. 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.

How do I mitigate CVE-2020-9480 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.

How does O3 Security protect against CVE-2020-9480?

O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2020-9480 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.

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 29.2%, 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.

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 April 10, 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

CVE-2020-9480

CRITICAL

Improper Authentication in Apache Spark

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

Published

Jun 23, 2020

Updated

Apr 10, 2026

Affected

2 pkgs

Patched

2 / 2

Exploits

2 known

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

29.2%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Moderate Risk98th percentile-59.12%

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.

Blast Radius

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
🐍PyPI	`pyspark`	all versions	2.4.6

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

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

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. 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 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
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-2020-9480 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-2020-9480. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2020-9480 in your dependencies?

O3 detects CVE-2020-9480 across Maven, PyPI dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.

Scan my dependencies How O3 SCA works