# CVE-2020-7381: Code Injection in Rapid7 Nexpose Installer

> An attacker with local access can execute arbitrary code by placing a malicious executable in the installer directory during Rapid7 Nexpose installation.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 3 Sep 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-pcgq-484v-rqvh

## What is CVE-2020-7381?

CVE-2020-7381 is a medium-severity code injection vulnerability in Rapid7 Nexpose, published on 3 Sep 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

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.

Weakness: CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-7381?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Rapid7 Nexpose.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-7381?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-7381 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-7381 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-7381 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Rapid7 Nexpose

- [CVE-2017-5264](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-5264/): Cross-site request forgery in Nexpose (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2019-5638](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5638/): Rapid7 Nexpose Insufficient Session Management (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2017-5243](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-5243/): Weak cryptography in Nexpose hardware appliance (high 8.5)
- [CVE-2017-5232](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-5232/): Other in Nexpose (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2017-5230](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-5230/): Hardcoded credentials in Nexpose (high 7.2)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-7381 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-7381 is a medium-severity code injection vulnerability in Rapid7 Nexpose, published on 3 Sep 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-7381 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Rapid7 Nexpose. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7381/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7381/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-7381
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-7381
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-7381

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7381/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.