CVE-2020-5016
IBM WebSphere Application Server 7.0, 8.0, 8.5, and 9.0 could allow a remote attacker to traverse...
IBM WebSphere Application Server 7.0, 8.0, 8.5, and 9.0 could allow a remote attacker to traverse directories on the system. When application security is disabled and JAX-RPC applications are present, an attacker could send a specially-crafted URL request containing "dot dot" sequences (/../) to view arbitrary xml files on the system. This does not occur if Application security is enabled. IBM X-Force ID: 193556.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
IBM WebSphere Application Server 7.0, 8.0, 8.5, and 9.0 could allow a remote attacker to traverse directories on the system. When application security is disabled and JAX-RPC applications are present, an attacker could send a specially-crafted URL request containing "dot dot" sequences (/../) to view arbitrary xml files on the system. This does not occur if Application security is enabled. IBM X-Force ID: 193556.
- Record
CVE-2020-5016- CVSS 3.0
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.0/A:N/I:N/PR:L/C:H/S:U/AC:H/AV:N/UI:N/RC:C/E:U/RL:O - Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-26263
IBM WebSphere Application Server 7.0, 8.0, 8.5, and 9.0 could allow a remote attacker to traverse directories on the system. When application security is disabled and JAX-RPC applications are present, an attacker could send a specially-crafted URL request containing "dot dot" sequences (/../) to view arbitrary xml files on the system. This does not occur if Application security is enabled. IBM X-Force ID: 193556.
- Record
EUVD-2020-26263- CVSS 3.0
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.0/A:N/I:N/PR:L/C:H/S:U/AC:H/AV:N/UI:N/RC:C/E:U/RL:O - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-whgp-r3rj-vmxr No score
IBM WebSphere Application Server 7.0, 8.0, 8.5, and 9.0 could allow a remote attacker to traverse...
IBM WebSphere Application Server 7.0, 8.0, 8.5, and 9.0 could allow a remote attacker to traverse directories on the system. When application security is disabled and JAX-RPC applications are present, an attacker could send a specially-crafted URL request containing "dot dot" sequences (/../) to view arbitrary xml files on the system. This does not occur if Application security is enabled. IBM X-Force ID: 193556.
- Record
GHSA-whgp-r3rj-vmxr- Weakness
- CWE-22
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
IBM WebSphere Application Server 7.0, 8.0, 8.5, and 9.0 could allow a remote attacker to traverse directories on the system. When application security is disabled and JAX-RPC applications are present, an attacker could send a specially-crafted URL request containing "dot dot" sequences (/../) to view arbitrary xml files on the system. This does not occur if Application security is enabled. IBM X-Force ID: 193556.
- Record
CVE-2020-5016- CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - CVSS 3.0
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - CVSS 2.0
- 3.5 Low
AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:P/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-22
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases, published | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2020-5016 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.3) in Ibm Websphere Application Server, published March 10, 2021. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 2.50%, the 84th percentile. No source names a fixed version.