CVE-2020-8260 Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure: dangerous file upload
In plain words: The program accepts files it should refuse, such as programs disguised as ordinary uploads. The attacker can place and run their own tools on the server.
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
- Pulse Connect Secure contains an unspecified vulnerability that allows an authenticated attacker to perform code execution using uncontrolled gzip extraction.
- Type of flaw
- Dangerous file upload (CWE-434)
- Confirmed exploited
- Nov 3, 2021
- US federal patch deadline
- May 3, 2022
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Answering about CVE-2020-8260 ·
Questions about CVE-2020-8260
Is CVE-2020-8260 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2020-8260 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-2020-8260?
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-2020-8260?
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.