CVE-2020-1735· NVD / CVE Program· CNA redhat

A flaw was found in the Ansible Engine when the fetch module is used.

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 18/100)

The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.47% (FIRST EPSS).
Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. Administrator privileges are required. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
Fixed version: ansible (Debian:10) 2.7.7+dfsg-1+deb10u1; ansible (Debian:12) 2.9.7+dfsg-1; ansible (openSUSE:Leap 15.3) 2.9.21-bp153.2.3.1.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to ansible (Debian:10) 2.7.7+dfsg-1+deb10u1; ansible (Debian:12) 2.9.7+dfsg-1; ansible (openSUSE:Leap 15.3) 2.9.21-bp153.2.3.1 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

A flaw was found in the Ansible Engine when the fetch module is used. An attacker could intercept the module, inject a new path, and then choose a new destination path on the controller node. All versions in 2.7.x, 2.8.x and 2.9.x branches are believed to be vulnerable.

MediumCVSS 4.6 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available

Path traversal

Published: Mar 16, 2020
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
EPSS: 0.4% · 39th percentile
CWE: CWE-22

Report tools

JSON

Action score

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS: 18 / 40 · 4.6 / 10
CISA KEV: 0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS: 0 / 30 · 0.4%

CNA vs NVD score

NVD: 4.6
CNA · redhat: 4.2; 0.4 point gap

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Get told when this record changes

Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
No public exploit code on record
A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Running WordPress? Scan your site free with WP Lens

Is your version affected? Check it

Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

We use this product, ask for help

Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

Vendor	Product	CPE
redhat	ansible	cpe:2.3:a:redhat:ansible
redhat	ansible tower	cpe:2.3:a:redhat:ansible_tower
redhat	cloudforms management engine	cpe:2.3:a:redhat:cloudforms_management_engine
redhat	openstack	cpe:2.3:a:redhat:openstack
debian	debian linux	cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux
fedoraproject	fedora	cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

debian debian linux10.0
fedoraproject fedora30
fedoraproject fedora31
fedoraproject fedora32
redhat ansiblebefore 2.7.17
redhat ansible2.8.0 and later · before 2.8.11
redhat ansible2.9.0 and later · before 2.9.7
redhat ansible tower3.6.0 and later · up to 3.6.3 inclusive
redhat ansible tower3.5.0 and later · up to 3.5.5 inclusive
redhat ansible tower3.3.5 and later · up to 3.4.5 inclusive
redhat ansible towerup to 3.3.4 inclusive
redhat cloudforms management engine5.0
redhat openstack13

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (redhat). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

Red Hat ansible
- 2.7.x, 2.8.x, 2.9.xaffected

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

Ecosystem	Package	Affected range	Fix
Debian:10	ansible	before 2.7.7+dfsg-1+deb10u1	2.7.7+dfsg-1+deb10u1
Debian:12	ansible	before 2.9.7+dfsg-1	2.9.7+dfsg-1
openSUSE:Leap 15.3	ansible	before 2.9.21-bp153.2.3.1	2.9.21-bp153.2.3.1
PyPI	ansible	from 2.7.0a1 · before 2.7.18	2.7.18
PyPI	ansible	from 2.8.0 · before 2.8.9	2.8.9
PyPI	ansible	from 2.8.0a1 · before 2.8.12	2.8.12
PyPI	ansible	from 2.9.0 · before 2.9.6	2.9.6
PyPI	ansible	from 2.9.0a1 · before 2.9.8	2.9.8
PyPI	ansible	before 2.7.17	2.7.17
Red Hat:ansible_engine:2.7::el7	ansible	before 0:2.7.17-1.el7ae	0:2.7.17-1.el7ae
Red Hat:ansible_engine:2.8::el7	ansible	before 0:2.8.11-1.el7ae	0:2.8.11-1.el7ae
Red Hat:ansible_engine:2.8::el8	ansible	before 0:2.8.11-1.el8ae	0:2.8.11-1.el8ae
Red Hat:ansible_engine:2.9::el7	ansible	before 0:2.9.7-1.el7ae	0:2.9.7-1.el7ae
Red Hat:ansible_engine:2.9::el7	ansible-test	before 0:2.9.7-1.el7ae	0:2.9.7-1.el7ae
Red Hat:ansible_engine:2.9::el8	ansible	before 0:2.9.7-1.el8ae	0:2.9.7-1.el8ae
Red Hat:ansible_engine:2.9::el8	ansible-test	before 0:2.9.7-1.el8ae	0:2.9.7-1.el8ae
SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP3	ansible	before 2.9.21-bp153.2.3.1	2.9.21-bp153.2.3.1

Same product

redhat: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

CVE-2014-4678The safe_eval function in Ansible before 1.6.4 does not properly restrict the code subset, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrar
41Plan
CVE-2014-4657The safe_eval function in Ansible before 1.5.4 does not properly restrict the code subset, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrar
40Plan
CVE-2014-4967Multiple argument injection vulnerabilities in Ansible before 1.6.7 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by leveraging access to
40Plan

Published before and after this one in the same product

← EarlierCVE-2020-1733Mar 11, 2020 · A race condition flaw was found in Ansible Engine 2.7.17 and prior, 2.8.9 and prior, 2.9.6 and prior when running a playbook with an unprivi
20Monitor
← EarlierCVE-2020-1739Mar 12, 2020 · A flaw was found in Ansible 2.7.16 and prior, 2.8.8 and prior, and 2.9.5 and prior when a password is set with the argument "password" of sv
15Monitor
Later →CVE-2020-1736Mar 16, 2020 · A flaw was found in Ansible Engine when a file is moved using atomic_move primitive as the file mode cannot be specified.
13Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / package	Fixed version	Source
debian:ansible	2.9.7+dfsg-1 · Debian:12	Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:ansible	2.9.21-bp153.2.3.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.3	Package registry (OSV)
PyPI:ansible	2.7.17	Package registry (OSV)
PyPI:ansible	2.7.18	Package registry (OSV)
PyPI:ansible	2.8.12	Package registry (OSV)
PyPI:ansible	2.8.9	Package registry (OSV)
PyPI:ansible	2.9.6	Package registry (OSV)
PyPI:ansible	2.9.8	Package registry (OSV)
red hat:ansible	0:2.9.7-1.el7ae · Red Hat:ansible_engine:2.9::el7	Package registry (OSV)
red hat:ansible-test	0:2.9.7-1.el7ae · Red Hat:ansible_engine:2.9::el7	Package registry (OSV)
suse:ansible	2.9.21-bp153.2.3.1 · SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP3	Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
Administrator privileges are required.
No user action is required.
No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality: low · data can be read
Integrity: low · data or configuration can be modified
Availability: none

Impact can extend beyond the vulnerable component (scope changes).

Attack vector: Local
Attack complexity: Low
Privileges required: High
User interaction: None
Scope: Changed
Confidentiality impact: Low
Integrity impact: Low
Availability impact: None

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

nvd-primary

Root cause

A user-supplied file name is joined with the allowed directory, but the result is never checked to confirm it is still inside that directory.

The bug in code

The whole CWE-22 class

A representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.

Vulnerable

1const file = path.join(ROOT, req.query.name);
2res.sendFile(file);

Fixed

1const file = path.resolve(ROOT, req.query.name);
2if (!file.startsWith(ROOT + path.sep)) {
3  return res.sendStatus(400);
4}
5res.sendFile(file);

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

Attack patterns (CAPEC)

ATT&CK techniques

—

Change log

Fix✗ → ✓Sep 28, 2026, 10:45 PM UTC

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2020-1735

Show all references (5 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records