CVE-2020-8243 Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure: command or code injection
In plain words: The program treats text it receives as instructions instead of plain data. The attacker can run commands on the machine — often the whole device is taken over.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline May 3, 2022
What to do
- Install Ivanti's security update for Pulse Connect Secure. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Patch edge devices first — attackers often start scanning for them within hours of a fix.
- Never expose the device's admin page to the internet.
- After patching a device that was exposed, follow the vendor's compromise checks, end active sessions and change passwords.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: They face the internet and guard the whole network, so a flaw here can hand attackers a way in — and these devices usually run no antivirus, so break-ins go unnoticed.
The details
- Official name
- Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure Code Execution Vulnerability
- Product
- Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure
- CISA description
- Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure contains an unspecified vulnerability in the admin web interface that could allow an authenticated attacker to upload a custom template to perform code execution.
- Type of flaw
- Command or code injection (CWE-94)
- Confirmed exploited
- Nov 3, 2021
- US federal patch deadline
- May 3, 2022
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Answering about CVE-2020-8243 ·
Questions about CVE-2020-8243
Is CVE-2020-8243 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2020-8243 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Nov 3, 2021, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks.
How do I fix CVE-2020-8243?
Install Ivanti's security update for Pulse Connect Secure. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Patch edge devices first — attackers often start scanning for them within hours of a fix.
Am I affected by CVE-2020-8243?
Only if you use Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.