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Threats / Drupal / CVE-2020-13671
CVE-2020-13671 · EUVD no mirror located · GCVE no mirror located Verified 2026-06-22

Drupal core vulnerability

Improper sanitization of extension file names in Drupal core allows arbitrary file upload, enabling remote code execution and system compromise.

Verdict

Today item — known-exploited.

An unauthenticated or low-privileged attacker can upload malicious files with unsanitized names to execute arbitrary code on the server. This vulnerability has been actively exploited in the wild.

CISA KEV Yes · 2022-01-183EPSS 0.04269 (verify live)4
01

Is it exploitable?

— the evidence, ranked above the score
Reported exploitation
4 independent public reports of in-the-wild exploitation are cataloged.Distinct reporting sources (vendor, incident response, government); open them for the underlying claims.
Exploited in the wild
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2022-01-18).
CISA KEV ↗Confirmed
Probability (EPSS)
EPSS 0.04269 — modeled likelihood of exploitation activity.EPSS is a daily-changing model output — open the source for today's value.
Severity / affected
Affected: Drupal, Drupal core. Confirm exact fixed builds in the vendor advisory.
NVD ↗Reported
Weakness (CWE)
Mapped to CWE-434 Unrestricted File Upload — weakness family: Path traversal / file.CWE assignment from the public NVD record; the weakness class drives how the flaw is exploited.
NVD ↗Reported
WeaknessCWE-434 · Unrestricted File UploadPath traversal / file
02

Who’s exploiting it?

— attribution turns risk into urgency
Attribution not established

No confirmed (advisory-backed) threat-actor attribution is established for this record. Absence of a named actor is not absence of compromise — see Coverage & confidence.

03

Why it matters

— the attack path, told twice: adversary, then board
1

Front door — unauthenticated access narrative 1

Attacker
I craft a file upload request with a specially crafted extension name that bypasses sanitization filters.
Business
Attackers gain ability to upload executable files to the web server without proper validation.
2

Keys to the kingdom — privilege/identity takeover narrative 2

Attacker
I place the malicious file in a web-accessible directory where it can be executed by the server.
Business
The uploaded file becomes executable, allowing arbitrary code execution in the application context.
3

Lateral reach — past segmentation narrative 3

Attacker
I trigger execution of the uploaded file through HTTP requests or automatic server processing.
Business
Complete compromise of the Drupal installation and underlying server infrastructure occurs.
4

Data at risk — exfiltration narrative 4

Attacker
I establish persistent access and exfiltrate sensitive data or modify application content.
Business
Data breach, service disruption, and reputational damage to the organization hosting the Drupal site.
04

What to do

— defensible action
  • Remediate per the vendor advisory — confirm the fixed build for your version and verify exposure.1
Say it to the boardA vulnerability with this evidence profile is a defensible budget line, not a backlog ticket — fund the change against the proof above.
05

Coverage & confidence

— what we know, and what we don’t

Established (cited)

  • KEV listing (CISA)
  • EPSS probability (FIRST)
  • 4 reported-exploitation source(s)
  • CWE weakness mapping (NVD)
  • Catalogued by drupal (CNA)
  • Coverage gaps — stated, not hidden

  • No EUVD / GCVE mirror in feed — single-authority dependency for the identifier.
  • EPSS & exposure are time-varying; verify live at the source.
  • Threat-actor attribution not established from feed data — absence of a name is not absence of compromise.
  • No finder/reporter credit recorded in the public CVE entry — the work behind this find is unattributed.
  • Disclosure & credit2
    Catalogued by drupalCNA
    Credited with finding itNo finder named in the public CVE record — the work behind this find is unattributed.