Is CVE-2018-4020 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2018-4020 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2018-4020 be exploited remotely?

Yes. CVE-2018-4020 is exploitable remotely over the network (CVSS attack vector: Network).

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-4020?

CVE-2018-4020 has a CVSS score of 7.2 (HIGH).

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HIGH

CVE-2018-4020

CWE-78Published: December 3, 2018· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.2

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

An exploitable command injection vulnerability exists in the way Netgate pfSense CE 2.4.4-RELEASE processes the parameters of a specific POST request. The attacker can exploit this and gain the ability to execute arbitrary commands on the system. An attacker needs to be able to send authenticated POST requests to the administration web interface. Command injection is possible in the `powerd_ac_mode` POST parameter parameter.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2018-4020 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

Exploitation requires high privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.2.