CVE-2020-28037

Name: CVE-2020-28037
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-11-02T21:15:30.977+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

CRITICALCVSS 9.8/10EPSS 7.74%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-28037 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 9.8/10 on the CVSS scale. is_blog_installed in wp-includes/functions.php in WordPress before 5.5.2 improperly determines whether WordPress is already installed, which might allow an attacker to perform a new installation, leading to remote code execution (as well as a denial of service for the old installation).. EPSS estimates a 7.74% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

is_blog_installed in wp-includes/functions.php in WordPress before 5.5.2 improperly determines whether WordPress is already installed, which might allow an attacker to perform a new installation, leading to remote code execution (as well as a denial of service for the old installation).

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

9.8/10

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

EPSS Probability

7.74%

93.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-754

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Wordpress	Wordpress	< 5.5.2
Fedoraproject	Fedora	31
Fedoraproject	Fedora	32
Fedoraproject	Fedora	33
Debian	Debian Linux	10.0

References

https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/commit/2ca15d1e5ce70493c5c0c096ca0c76503d6da07cPatch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/11/msg00004.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/CHHVNK2WYAM3ZTCXTFSEIT56IKLVJHU3/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/VAVVYJKA2I6CRQUINECDPBGWMQDEG244/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/VUXVUAKL2HL4QYJEPHBNVQQWRMFMII2Y/
https://wordpress.org/news/2020/10/wordpress-5-5-2-security-and-maintenance-release/Release Notes, Vendor Advisory
https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/10450Third Party Advisory
https://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4784Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/commit/2ca15d1e5ce70493c5c0c096ca0c76503d6da07cPatch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/11/msg00004.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/CHHVNK2WYAM3ZTCXTFSEIT56IKLVJHU3/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/VAVVYJKA2I6CRQUINECDPBGWMQDEG244/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/VUXVUAKL2HL4QYJEPHBNVQQWRMFMII2Y/
https://wordpress.org/news/2020/10/wordpress-5-5-2-security-and-maintenance-release/Release Notes, Vendor Advisory
https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/10450Third Party Advisory
https://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4784Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Nov 2, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-28037?

How severe is CVE-2020-28037?

CVE-2020-28037 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 7.74% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-28037?

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-2020-28037?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST