HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2020-5227

HIGH

CVE-2020-5227

CWE-776Published: January 28, 2020· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.5

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Feedgen (python feedgen) before 0.9.0 is susceptible to XML Denial of Service attacks. The *feedgen* library allows supplying XML as content for some of the available fields. This XML will be parsed and integrated into the existing XML tree. During this process, feedgen is vulnerable to XML Denial of Service Attacks (e.g. XML Bomb). This becomes a concern in particular if feedgen is used to include content from untrused sources and if XML (including XHTML) is directly included instead of providing plain tex content only. This problem has been fixed in feedgen 0.9.0 which disallows XML entity expansion and external resources.

Technical Analysis

CVE-2020-5227 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 availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.5.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability

Attack VectorNetwork

Attack ComplexityLow

Privileges Req.None

User InteractionNone

ScopeUnchanged

Impact

ConfidentialityNone

IntegrityNone

AvailabilityHigh

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

feedgen_project1 product(s)

feedgen

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

PATCHhttps://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/msdn-magazine/2009/november/xml-denial-of-service-attacks-and-defenses

PATCHhttps://github.com/lkiesow/python-feedgen/commit/f57a01b20fa4aaaeccfa417f28e66b4084b9d0cf

PATCHhttps://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/msdn-magazine/2009/november/xml-denial-of-service-attacks-and-defenses

PATCHhttps://github.com/lkiesow/python-feedgen/commit/f57a01b20fa4aaaeccfa417f28e66b4084b9d0cf

ADVISORYhttps://github.com/lkiesow/python-feedgen/security/advisories/GHSA-g8q7-xv52-hf9f

ADVISORYhttps://github.com/lkiesow/python-feedgen/security/advisories/GHSA-g8q7-xv52-hf9f

All References (8)

→

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/msdn-magazine/2009/november/xml-denial-of-service-attacks-and-defensesExploit · Patch · Third Party Advisory · Vendor Advisory

→

https://github.com/lkiesow/python-feedgen/commit/f57a01b20fa4aaaeccfa417f28e66b4084b9d0cfPatch

→

https://github.com/lkiesow/python-feedgen/security/advisories/GHSA-g8q7-xv52-hf9fThird Party Advisory

→

https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/T6I5ENUYGFNMIH6ZQ62FZ6VU2WD3SIOI/

→

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/msdn-magazine/2009/november/xml-denial-of-service-attacks-and-defensesExploit · Patch · Third Party Advisory · Vendor Advisory

→

https://github.com/lkiesow/python-feedgen/commit/f57a01b20fa4aaaeccfa417f28e66b4084b9d0cfPatch

→

https://github.com/lkiesow/python-feedgen/security/advisories/GHSA-g8q7-xv52-hf9fThird Party Advisory

→

https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/T6I5ENUYGFNMIH6ZQ62FZ6VU2WD3SIOI/

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2020-5227

CVSS Score7.5 / 10

SeverityHIGH

WeaknessCWE-776

CISA KEVNo

Affected1 vendor(s)

PublishedJan 28, 2020

Related CVEs (CWE-776)

Recommended Actions

→Apply vendor patches immediately
→Monitor CVE-2020-5227 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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