Is CVE-2019-20478 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2019-20478 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2019-20478 be exploited remotely?

Yes. CVE-2019-20478 is exploitable remotely over the network (CVSS attack vector: Network).

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-20478?

CVE-2019-20478 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2019-20478

CRITICAL

CVE-2019-20478

NVD-CWE-noinfoPublished: February 19, 2020· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

In ruamel.yaml through 0.16.7, the load method allows remote code execution if the application calls this method with an untrusted argument. In other words, this issue affects developers who are unaware of the need to use methods such as safe_load in these use cases.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2019-20478 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

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 9.8.