HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2020-14478
HIGH

CVE-2020-14478

CWE-611Published: February 24, 2022· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.1
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

A local, authenticated attacker could use an XML External Entity (XXE) attack to exploit weakly configured XML files to access local or remote content. A successful exploit could potentially cause a denial-of-service condition and allow the attacker to arbitrarily read any local file via system-level services.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2020-14478 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

Exploitation requires low 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), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.1.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

rockwellautomation1 product(s)
factorytalk services platform
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://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ics/advisories/icsa-20-177-02
ADVISORYhttps://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ics/advisories/icsa-20-177-02

All References (2)

→
https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ics/advisories/icsa-20-177-02Mitigation · Third Party Advisory · US Government Resource
→
https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ics/advisories/icsa-20-177-02Mitigation · Third Party Advisory · US Government Resource

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2020-14478
CVSS Score7.1 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-611
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedFeb 24, 2022

Related CVEs (CWE-611)

CVE-2019-14678
10.0
CVE-2015-9280
10.0
CVE-2017-8110
10.0
CVE-2017-7664
10.0
CVE-2018-1000124
10.0
CVE-2023-38490
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2020-14478 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.
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