CVE-2020-12852
CWE-20Published: June 4, 2020· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
Official Description
The update feature for Pydio Cells 2.0.4 allows an administrator user to set a custom update URL and the public RSA key used to validate the downloaded update package. The update process involves downloading the updated binary file from a URL indicated in the update server response, validating its checksum and signature with the provided public key and finally replacing the current application binary. To complete the update process, the application’s service or appliance needs to be restarted. An attacker with administrator access can leverage the software update feature to force the application to download a custom binary that will replace current Pydio Cells binary. When the server or service is eventually restarted the attacker will be able to execute code under the privileges of the user running the application. In the Pydio Cells enterprise appliance this is with the privileges of the user named “pydio”.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2020-12852 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 6.8.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (6)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (CWE-20)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2020-12852 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts