CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2020-7381 — Rapid7 Nexpose security vulnerability

High CVSS 7.8

In Rapid7 Nexpose installer versions prior to 6.6.40, the Nexpose installer calls an executable which can be placed in the appropriate directory by an attacker with access to the local machine. This would prevent the installer from distinguishing between a valid executable called during a Security Console installation and any arbitrary code executable using the same file name.

Severity
High
CVSS
7.8 (3.1)
Published
2020-09-03
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
software/application
Weaknesses
CWE-94

Affected products

  • rapid7 / nexpose

Matched remediation archetype

Command, code, expression, and template injection

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Check exposure

  • Trace untrusted values to process execution, interpreters, evaluators, template engines, dynamic imports, and administrative scripting features.
  • Determine whether the affected path is reachable across each trust boundary and which service account or host privilege it inherits.
  • Review configuration for optional execution features, unsafe compatibility modes, and shell invocation.

Remediate safely

  • Replace string-built commands or evaluated code with fixed operations and structured argument APIs that do not invoke a shell.
  • Use strict allowlists for operation identifiers and reject unexpected input before it reaches any interpreter.
  • Update the affected component and add inert regression tests covering metacharacters, encoding variants, and alternate request paths.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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