HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2020-11998
CRITICAL

CVE-2020-11998

NVD-CWE-noinfoPublished: September 10, 2020· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

A regression has been introduced in the commit preventing JMX re-bind. By passing an empty environment map to RMIConnectorServer, instead of the map that contains the authentication credentials, it leaves ActiveMQ open to the following attack: https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/technotes/guides/management/agent.html "A remote client could create a javax.management.loading.MLet MBean and use it to create new MBeans from arbitrary URLs, at least if there is no security manager. In other words, a rogue remote client could make your Java application execute arbitrary code." Mitigation: Upgrade to Apache ActiveMQ 5.15.13

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2020-11998 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)
activemq
Oracle6 product(s)
communications diameter signaling routercommunications element managercommunications session report managercommunications session route managerenterprise repositoryflexcube private banking
Source: NVD CPE · 8 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

PATCHhttps://www.oracle.com//security-alerts/cpujul2021.html
PATCHhttps://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuApr2021.html
PATCHhttps://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html
PATCHhttps://www.oracle.com//security-alerts/cpujul2021.html
PATCHhttps://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuApr2021.html
PATCHhttps://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html
ADVISORYhttp://activemq.apache.org/security-advisories.data/CVE-2020-11998-announcement.txt
ADVISORYhttps://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2021.html
ADVISORYhttp://activemq.apache.org/security-advisories.data/CVE-2020-11998-announcement.txt
ADVISORYhttps://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2021.html

All References (14)

→
http://activemq.apache.org/security-advisories.data/CVE-2020-11998-announcement.txtVendor Advisory
→
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r946488fb942fd35c6a6e0359f52504a558ed438574a8f14d36d7dcd7%40%3Ccommits.activemq.apache.org%3E
→
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rb2fd3bf2dce042e0ab3f3c94c4767c96bb2e7e6737624d63162df36d%40%3Ccommits.activemq.apache.org%3E
→
https://www.oracle.com//security-alerts/cpujul2021.htmlPatch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuApr2021.htmlPatch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2021.htmlThird Party Advisory
→
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.htmlPatch · Third Party Advisory
→
http://activemq.apache.org/security-advisories.data/CVE-2020-11998-announcement.txtVendor Advisory
→
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r946488fb942fd35c6a6e0359f52504a558ed438574a8f14d36d7dcd7%40%3Ccommits.activemq.apache.org%3E
→
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rb2fd3bf2dce042e0ab3f3c94c4767c96bb2e7e6737624d63162df36d%40%3Ccommits.activemq.apache.org%3E
→
https://www.oracle.com//security-alerts/cpujul2021.htmlPatch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuApr2021.htmlPatch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2021.htmlThird Party Advisory
→
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.htmlPatch · Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2020-11998
CVSS Score9.8 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessNVD-CWE-noinfo
CISA KEVNo
Affected2 vendor(s)
PublishedSep 10, 2020

Related CVEs (NVD-CWE-noinfo)

CVE-2013-2422
10.0
CVE-2009-3091
10.0
CVE-2013-4837
10.0
CVE-2007-5108
10.0
CVE-2012-0124
10.0
CVE-2009-3092
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2020-11998 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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