HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2020-17521
MEDIUM

CVE-2020-17521

NVD-CWE-OtherPublished: December 7, 2020· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

5.5
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Apache Groovy provides extension methods to aid with creating temporary directories. Prior to this fix, Groovy's implementation of those extension methods was using a now superseded Java JDK method call that is potentially not secure on some operating systems in some contexts. Users not using the extension methods mentioned in the advisory are not affected, but may wish to read the advisory for further details. Versions Affected: 2.0 to 2.4.20, 2.5.0 to 2.5.13, 3.0.0 to 3.0.6, and 4.0.0-alpha-1. Fixed in versions 2.4.21, 2.5.14, 3.0.7, 4.0.0-alpha-2.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2020-17521 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), with a CVSS base score of 5.5.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

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

Affected Vendors & Products

Apache2 product(s)
groovyatlas
netapp1 product(s)
snapcenter
Oracle18 product(s)
agile engineering data managementagile plmagile plm mcad connectorbusiness process management suitecommunications brm - elastic charging enginecommunications diameter signaling routercommunications evolved communications application servercommunications services gatekeeperhealthcare data repositoryhospitality opera 5ilearninginsurance policy administration+6
Source: NVD CPE · 37 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/cpuapr2022.html
PATCHhttps://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2021.html
PATCHhttps://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2022.html
PATCHhttps://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.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/cpuapr2022.html
PATCHhttps://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2021.html
PATCHhttps://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2022.html
PATCHhttps://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.html
PATCHhttps://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html
ADVISORYhttps://groovy-lang.org/security.html#CVE-2020-17521
ADVISORYhttps://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20201218-0006/
ADVISORYhttps://groovy-lang.org/security.html#CVE-2020-17521
ADVISORYhttps://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20201218-0006/

All References (24)

→
https://groovy-lang.org/security.html#CVE-2020-17521Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r4b2f13c302eec98838ff7475253091fb9b75bc1038016ba00ebf6c08%40%3Cdev.atlas.apache.org%3E
→
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/ra9dab34bf8625511f23692ad0fcee2725f782e9aad6c5cdff6cf4465%40%3Cnotifications.groovy.apache.org%3E
→
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rea63a4666ba245d2892471307772a2d8ce0f0741f341d6576625c1b3%40%3Cdev.atlas.apache.org%3E
→
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20201218-0006/Third Party Advisory
→
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/cpuapr2022.htmlPatch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2021.htmlPatch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2022.htmlPatch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.htmlPatch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.htmlPatch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://groovy-lang.org/security.html#CVE-2020-17521Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r4b2f13c302eec98838ff7475253091fb9b75bc1038016ba00ebf6c08%40%3Cdev.atlas.apache.org%3E
→
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/ra9dab34bf8625511f23692ad0fcee2725f782e9aad6c5cdff6cf4465%40%3Cnotifications.groovy.apache.org%3E

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2020-17521
CVSS Score5.5 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessNVD-CWE-Other
CISA KEVNo
Affected3 vendor(s)
PublishedDec 7, 2020

Related CVEs (NVD-CWE-Other)

CVE-2007-1015
10.0
CVE-2001-0555
10.0
CVE-2006-5675
10.0
CVE-1999-0182
10.0
CVE-2002-0951
10.0
CVE-2001-1078
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2020-17521 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.
← All Vulnerabilities·Search for CVE-2020-17521·NVD