# CVE-2020-8218: Pulse Connect Secure Code Injection

> Attackers can execute arbitrary code via crafted URIs in the admin web interface of Pulse Connect Secure.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 7 Mar 2022 (CISA KEV)
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 30 Jul 2020
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-29h7-cpmq-mh8j

## What is CVE-2020-8218?

CVE-2020-8218 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Ivanti Connect Secure, published on 30 Jul 2020. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A code injection vulnerability exists in Pulse Connect Secure <9.1R8 that allows an attacker to crafted a URI to perform an arbitrary code execution via the admin web interface.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-8218?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Ivanti Connect Secure, Ivanti Policy Secure, Pulsesecure Pulse Policy Secure.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-8218?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-8218 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 7 Sep 2022.

## Is CVE-2020-8218 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2020-8218 in the wild since at least 7 Mar 2022.

Public exploit code:

- Tool to test for existence of CVE-2020-8218 (github_poc): https://github.com/withdk/pulse-gosecure-rce-poc

## Other vulnerabilities in Ivanti Connect Secure

- [CVE-2021-22893](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-22893/): Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure Use-After-Free (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2019-11510](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-11510/): Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure Arbitrary File Read (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-21887](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21887/): Ivanti Connect Secure and Policy Secure Command Injection (critical 9.1, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-22457](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-22457/): Ivanti Connect Secure, Policy Secure, and ZTA Gateways Stack-Based Buffer Overflow (critical 9.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-0282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-0282/): Ivanti Connect Secure, Policy Secure, and ZTA Gateways Stack-Based Buffer Overflow (critical 9.0, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-8218 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-8218 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Ivanti Connect Secure, published on 30 Jul 2020. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2020-8218 in the wild since at least 7 Mar 2022.

Affected product: Ivanti Connect Secure. 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-2020-8218/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8218/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-8218
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-8218
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-8218

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8218/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.