CVE-2020-8644
RCE in Playsms ≤ 1.4.3
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2020-8644 is a critical-severity Code Injection (CWE-94) vulnerability in Playsms Playsms. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059); ranked in the top 0.3% 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.
PlaySMS versions prior to 1.4.3 contain an input sanitization flaw that permits injection of malicious strings, classified under CWE-94 as improper control of code generation. The affected component is the core template handling logic reachable through the web interface, resulting in a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 with network attack vector, no required credentials or user interaction, and full impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
An unauthenticated attacker can supply crafted input over the network to trigger template injection, leading to arbitrary code execution on the server and complete system compromise. Public proof-of-concept material demonstrates direct unauthenticated remote code execution via the index.php endpoint.
Official advisories and release notes state that upgrading to PlaySMS 1.4.3 resolves the issue; the project site and community forum both identify this version as the corrective release containing the necessary input handling fixes. Detailed technical analysis from NCC Group confirms the pre-authentication remote code execution path and the effectiveness of the patch. Public exploit code has been published on PacketStorm, indicating the vulnerability is readily reproducible.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2020-29492
Vulnerability Data
PlaySMS before 1.4.3 does not sanitize inputs from a malicious string.
- CWE(s)
- KEV Date Added
- 03 November 2021
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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V1.3.1
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.
Makes persistent code injection into loaded programs impossible when the executable image itself resides on hardware-protected read-only media.
Dynamically generated code can be produced and executed inside the isolated chamber, preventing host compromise from code-injection payloads.
Validates inputs used in dynamic code generation to block injected directives.
Directly prevents execution of attacker-supplied code written into data memory regions.
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's SDLC practices directly target injection flaws via secure coding and testing (mostly), yet as a single broad outcome it leaves many code-generation specifics unaddressed (partial).
PR.DS-10 protects runtime data confidentiality/integrity but has no bearing on neutralizing externally influenced input during code generation, so neither direction shows any preventive effect.
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.
Banning unapproved code samples and unauthenticated web services, combined with secure-coding standards and SAST, prevents the dynamic generation or inclusion of attacker-supplied code.
Controls that restrict unauthorized or malicious code from being introduced via external networks or removable media limit opportunities for an attacker to inject and execute arbitrary code.