# CVE-2020-8224: Code injection in Desktop Client

> Attackers can execute arbitrary code by placing a malicious OpenSSL config in a fixed directory, affecting Nextcloud Desktop Client users.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 10 Aug 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-79jq-9hhm-7rfm

## What is CVE-2020-8224?

CVE-2020-8224 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Desktop Client, published on 10 Aug 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A code injection in Nextcloud Desktop Client 2.6.4 allowed to load arbitrary code when placing a malicious OpenSSL config into a fixed directory.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-8224?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Nextcloud Desktop.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-8224?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-8224 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-8224 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-8224 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Desktop Client

- [CVE-2024-46958](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-46958/): Misconfiguration in n/a (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2020-8225](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8225/): Information disclosure in Desktop Client (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2021-37617](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-37617/): Untrusted Search Path in Nextcloud Desktop Client (high 7.3)
- [CVE-2023-28999](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-28999/): Nextcloud: Lack of authenticity of metadata keys allows a malicious server to gain access to E2EE folders (medium 6.9)
- [CVE-2020-8227](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8227/): Path traversal in Desktop Client (medium 6.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-8224 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-8224 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Desktop Client, published on 10 Aug 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-8224 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Desktop Client. 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-2020-8224/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8224/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-8224
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-8224
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-8224

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8224/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.