HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2020-11986
CRITICAL

CVE-2020-11986

NVD-CWE-noinfoPublished: September 9, 2020· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

To be able to analyze gradle projects, the build scripts need to be executed. Apache NetBeans follows this pattern. This causes the code of the build script to be invoked at load time of the project. Apache NetBeans up to and including 12.0 did not request consent from the user for the analysis of the project at load time. This in turn will run potentially malicious code, from an external source, without the consent of the user.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2020-11986 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.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Apache1 product(s)
netbeans
Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttps://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rbb8ea1b684e73107a0a6a30245ad6112bec2e6e171368c808e69217e%40%3Cannounce.netbeans.apache.org%3E
ADVISORYhttps://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rbb8ea1b684e73107a0a6a30245ad6112bec2e6e171368c808e69217e%40%3Cannounce.netbeans.apache.org%3E

All References (6)

→
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r0fb2ba21a0469f64c2dff945dbe68f7b1122e1bff2b2b46271682406%40%3Cnotifications.netbeans.apache.org%3E
→
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/ra81cdcf325bf4ea085c178f95ed6b50d4f1c095be50577b2f9b88984%40%3Cnotifications.netbeans.apache.org%3E
→
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rbb8ea1b684e73107a0a6a30245ad6112bec2e6e171368c808e69217e%40%3Cannounce.netbeans.apache.org%3EMailing List · Vendor Advisory
→
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r0fb2ba21a0469f64c2dff945dbe68f7b1122e1bff2b2b46271682406%40%3Cnotifications.netbeans.apache.org%3E
→
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/ra81cdcf325bf4ea085c178f95ed6b50d4f1c095be50577b2f9b88984%40%3Cnotifications.netbeans.apache.org%3E
→
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rbb8ea1b684e73107a0a6a30245ad6112bec2e6e171368c808e69217e%40%3Cannounce.netbeans.apache.org%3EMailing List · Vendor Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2020-11986
CVSS Score9.8 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessNVD-CWE-noinfo
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedSep 9, 2020

Related CVEs (NVD-CWE-noinfo)

CVE-2008-6566
10.0
CVE-2009-1216
10.0
CVE-2009-2543
10.0
CVE-2008-6546
10.0
CVE-2009-1178
10.0
CVE-2023-40455
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2020-11986 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWatch. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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