CVE-2020-17534

Name: CVE-2020-17534
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2021-01-11T16:15:14.867+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7/10EPSS 0.40%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-17534 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7/10 on the CVSS scale. There exists a race condition between the deletion of the temporary file and the creation of the temporary directory in `webkit` subproject of HTML/Java API version 1.7. A similar vulnerability has recently been disclosed in other Java projects and the fix in HTML/Java API version 1.7.1 follows theirs: To avoid local privilege escalation version 1.7.1 creates the temporary directory atomically without dealing with the temporary file: https://github.com/apache/netbeans-html4j/commit/fa70e507e5555e1adb4f6518479fc408a7abd0e6. EPSS estimates a 0.40% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

There exists a race condition between the deletion of the temporary file and the creation of the temporary directory in `webkit` subproject of HTML/Java API version 1.7. A similar vulnerability has recently been disclosed in other Java projects and the fix in HTML/Java API version 1.7.1 follows theirs: To avoid local privilege escalation version 1.7.1 creates the temporary directory atomically without dealing with the temporary file: https://github.com/apache/netbeans-html4j/commit/fa70e507e5555e1adb4f6518479fc408a7abd0e6

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.40%

32.2th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-362

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Apache	Html\/Java Api	1.7

References

https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/ra6119c0cdfccf051a846fa11b61364f5df9e7db93c310706a947f86a%40%3Cdev.netbeans.apache.org%3EMailing List, Vendor Advisory
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/ra6119c0cdfccf051a846fa11b61364f5df9e7db93c310706a947f86a%40%3Cdev.netbeans.apache.org%3EMailing List, Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jan 11, 2021
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-17534?

How severe is CVE-2020-17534?

CVE-2020-17534 has a CVSS score of 7/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.40% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-17534?

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-2020-17534?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST