CVE-2020-5283

Name: CVE-2020-5283
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-04-03T00:15:11.943+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

LOWCVSS 3.5/10EPSS 1.22%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-5283 is a low-severity vulnerability rated 3.5/10 on the CVSS scale. ViewVC before versions 1.1.28 and 1.2.1 has a XSS vulnerability in CVS show_subdir_lastmod support. The impact of this vulnerability is mitigated by the need for an attacker to have commit privileges to a CVS repository exposed by an otherwise trusted ViewVC instance that also has the `show_subdir_lastmod` feature enabled. EPSS estimates a 1.22% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

ViewVC before versions 1.1.28 and 1.2.1 has a XSS vulnerability in CVS show_subdir_lastmod support. The impact of this vulnerability is mitigated by the need for an attacker to have commit privileges to a CVS repository exposed by an otherwise trusted ViewVC instance that also has the `show_subdir_lastmod` feature enabled. The attack vector involves files with unsafe names (names that, when embedded into an HTML stream, would cause the browser to run unwanted code), which themselves can be challenging to create. This vulnerability is patched in versions 1.2.1 and 1.1.28.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

3.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

1.22%

64.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Viewvc	Viewvc	< 1.1.28
Viewvc	Viewvc	>= 1.2.0, < 1.2.1

References

https://github.com/viewvc/viewvc/commit/ad0f966e9a997b17d853a6972ea283d4dcd70fa8Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/viewvc/viewvc/issues/211Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/viewvc/viewvc/security/advisories/GHSA-xpxf-fvqv-7mfgMitigation, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/2Q2STF2MKT24HXZ3YZIU7CN6F6QM67I5/
https://github.com/viewvc/viewvc/commit/ad0f966e9a997b17d853a6972ea283d4dcd70fa8Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/viewvc/viewvc/issues/211Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/viewvc/viewvc/security/advisories/GHSA-xpxf-fvqv-7mfgMitigation, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/2Q2STF2MKT24HXZ3YZIU7CN6F6QM67I5/

Timeline

Published: Apr 3, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-5283?

How severe is CVE-2020-5283?

CVE-2020-5283 has a CVSS score of 3.5/10 (LOW severity). The EPSS model estimates a 1.22% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-5283?

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-2020-5283?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST