CVE-2020-11581

Name: CVE-2020-11581
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-04-06T21:15:13.56+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 8.1/10EPSS 9.84%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-11581 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 8.1/10 on the CVSS scale. An issue was discovered in Pulse Secure Pulse Connect Secure (PCS) through 2020-04-06. The applet in tncc.jar, executed on macOS, Linux, and Solaris clients when a Host Checker policy is enforced, allows a man-in-the-middle attacker to perform OS command injection attacks (against a client) via shell metacharacters to the doCustomRemediateInstructions method, because Runtime.getRuntime().exec() is used.. EPSS estimates a 9.84% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

An issue was discovered in Pulse Secure Pulse Connect Secure (PCS) through 2020-04-06. The applet in tncc.jar, executed on macOS, Linux, and Solaris clients when a Host Checker policy is enforced, allows a man-in-the-middle attacker to perform OS command injection attacks (against a client) via shell metacharacters to the doCustomRemediateInstructions method, because Runtime.getRuntime().exec() is used.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

8.1/10

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

EPSS Probability

9.84%

95.0th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-78

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Pulsesecure	Pulse Connect Secure	<= 2020-04-06
Pulsesecure	Pulse Policy Secure	All versions

References

https://git.lsd.cat/g/pulse-host-checker-rceExploit, Third Party Advisory
https://kb.pulsesecure.net/articles/Pulse_Security_Advisories/SA44426Vendor Advisory
https://git.lsd.cat/g/pulse-host-checker-rceExploit, Third Party Advisory
https://kb.pulsesecure.net/articles/Pulse_Security_Advisories/SA44426Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Apr 6, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-11581?

How severe is CVE-2020-11581?

CVE-2020-11581 has a CVSS score of 8.1/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 9.84% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-11581?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2020-11581?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST