HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2020-13092

CRITICAL

CVE-2020-13092

CWE-502Published: May 15, 2020· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

scikit-learn (aka sklearn) through 0.23.0 can unserialize and execute commands from an untrusted file that is passed to the joblib.load() function, if __reduce__ makes an os.system call. NOTE: third parties dispute this issue because the joblib.load() function is documented as unsafe and it is the user's responsibility to use the function in a secure manner

Technical Analysis

CVE-2020-13092 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.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-502): Insecure deserialization vulnerabilities allow attackers to inject malicious objects during deserialization, potentially enabling remote code execution.

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

scikit-learn1 product(s)

scikit-learn

Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time

Offensive Security exploit database

GitHub PoC Search

Community PoC repositories

Rapid7 / Metasploit

Metasploit module search

Security advisories & exploits

Official NIST entry

CVE Program entry

External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttps://github.com/0FuzzingQ/vuln/blob/master/sklearn%20unserialize.md

ADVISORYhttps://scikit-learn.org/stable/modules/model_persistence.html#security-maintainability-limitations

ADVISORYhttps://github.com/0FuzzingQ/vuln/blob/master/sklearn%20unserialize.md

ADVISORYhttps://scikit-learn.org/stable/modules/model_persistence.html#security-maintainability-limitations

All References (4)

→

https://github.com/0FuzzingQ/vuln/blob/master/sklearn%20unserialize.mdExploit · Third Party Advisory

→

https://scikit-learn.org/stable/modules/model_persistence.html#security-maintainability-limitationsThird Party Advisory

→

https://github.com/0FuzzingQ/vuln/blob/master/sklearn%20unserialize.mdExploit · Third Party Advisory

→

https://scikit-learn.org/stable/modules/model_persistence.html#security-maintainability-limitationsThird Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2020-13092

CVSS Score9.8 / 10

SeverityCRITICAL

WeaknessCWE-502

CISA KEVNo

Affected1 vendor(s)

PublishedMay 15, 2020

Related CVEs (CWE-502)

Recommended Actions

→Apply vendor patches immediately
→Monitor CVE-2020-13092 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.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.

← All Vulnerabilities·Search for CVE-2020-13092·NVD