Cyber Resilience

CVE-2020-10221

RCE in Rconfig ≤ 3.9.4

CISA KEVActive ExploitationEUVD ExploitedPublic PoCRCECommand Injection
Published
08 March 2020
Modified
07 November 2025
KEV Added
03 November 2021
CVSS Score v3.1 8.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.37 98th percentile
Risk Priority 90 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2020-10221 is a high-severity OS Command Injection (CWE-78) vulnerability in Rconfig Rconfig. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059); ranked in the top 2% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

CVE-2020-10221 is an OS command injection vulnerability (CWE-78) affecting the lib/ajaxHandlers/ajaxAddTemplate.php component in rConfig versions through 3.94. The flaw permits arbitrary operating system command execution when unsanitized input containing shell metacharacters is supplied in the fileName POST parameter.

An attacker with low-privileged authenticated access can send a crafted HTTP POST request to the affected endpoint over the network. Successful exploitation grants the ability to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system, resulting in full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability as reflected in the CVSS 8.8 score.

Public exploit code demonstrating authenticated remote code execution against rConfig 3.93 has been disclosed via Packet Storm and detailed write-ups on GitHub, confirming the issue is reproducible with standard web request tools. No official patch or mitigation guidance appears in the referenced materials.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A05:2025 Injection

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

lib/ajaxHandlers/ajaxAddTemplate.php in rConfig through 3.94 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary OS commands via shell metacharacters in the fileName POST parameter.

CWE(s)
CWE-78
KEV Date Added
03 November 2021

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter Execution
Adversaries may abuse command and script interpreters to execute commands, scripts, or binaries.
attack.mitre.org →
T1059.003 Windows Command Shell Execution
Adversaries may abuse the Windows command shell for execution.
attack.mitre.org →
T1059.004 Unix Shell Execution
Adversaries may abuse Unix shell commands and scripts for execution.
attack.mitre.org →
T1059.001 PowerShell Execution
Adversaries may abuse PowerShell commands and scripts for execution.
attack.mitre.org →
T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2020-10879Same product: Rconfig Rconfig
CVE-2019-19509Same product: Rconfig Rconfig
CVE-2019-16662Same product: Rconfig Rconfig
CVE-2019-16663Same product: Rconfig Rconfig
CVE-2020-12255Same product: Rconfig Rconfig
CVE-2023-39108Same product: Rconfig Rconfig
CVE-2020-10546Same product: Rconfig Rconfig
CVE-2020-10220Same product: Rconfig Rconfig
CVE-2023-39109Same product: Rconfig Rconfig
CVE-2023-39110Same product: Rconfig Rconfig

Affected Assets

rconfig
rconfig
≤ 3.9.4

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

—

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V1.2.5
  • V1.2.8
  • V15.2.5

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

SC-27 Platform-independent Applications
addresses: CWE-78

Platform-independent apps typically execute inside a managed runtime or sandbox that restricts direct OS command execution, reducing the ability to exploit OS command injection.

SI-10 Information Input Validation
addresses: CWE-78

Validates inputs to block special elements that would alter OS command execution.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

PR.PS-06's SDLC practices directly require secure coding and input handling that blocks command-injection defects, yet the single broad outcome leaves many specific neutralization vectors and verification gaps unaddressed.

PR.PS-02 partial match
prevents

Routine patching/maintenance can remediate known command-injection CVEs in dependencies (partial forward) but does nothing to stop developers from introducing improper neutralization in custom code (none reverse).

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.8.29 Security testing in development and acceptance mostly match
finds

Security testing and code review target insecure use of operating-system command interfaces, catching command-injection flaws introduced during development.

References