CVE-2020-17519Apache Flink directory traversal attack: reading remote files through the REST API
- 9.1CriticalCVSS base score
- 98.0%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 0.1% of all CVEs
- YesKnown exploitedin CISA's KEV since 23 May 2024
- 3Public exploitsMetasploit, Nuclei and Exploit-DB
Description
A change introduced in Apache Flink 1.11.0 (and released in 1.11.1 and 1.11.2 as well) allows attackers to read any file on the local filesystem of the JobManager through the REST interface of the JobManager process. Access is restricted to files accessible by the JobManager process. All users should upgrade to Flink 1.11.3 or 1.12.0 if their Flink instance(s) are exposed. The issue was fixed in commit b561010b0ee741543c3953306037f00d7a9f0801 from apache/flink:master.
Exploited in the wild
CISA lists this vulnerability in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog as Apache Flink Improper Access Control Vulnerability.
- Added
- 23 May 2024
- Fix due (US federal)
- 13 Jun 2024
- Used by ransomware
- Not known
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
ENISA's EU Vulnerability Database lists it as exploited, from CISA's KEV, since 23 May 2024.
Public exploit
An exploit or proof of concept is public: anyone can try it against an unpatched system. The public collections list a Metasploit module, a Nuclei template and an Exploit-DB entry for it. CISA's SSVC rates its exploitation: it is being exploited.
Show the exploits3
Metasploit modules1 module
- Apache Flink JobManager Traversal (Metasploit module) (opens in a new tab)
auxiliary/scanner/http/apache_flink_jobmanager_traversalRank normaldisclosed 5 Jan 2021
Nuclei templates1 template
- Apache Flink - Local File Inclusion (Nuclei template) (opens in a new tab)
http/cves/2020/CVE-2020-17519.yamlSeverity high
Exploit-DB1 entry
- Apache Flink 1.11.0 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Read (Metasploit) (Exploit-DB entry) (opens in a new tab)
EDB-ID 49398webapps, javapublished 8 Jan 2021Verified
Modules, templates and exploits as listed by the Metasploit Framework (BSD-3-Clause), ProjectDiscovery's Nuclei templates (MIT) and the Exploit Database (GPLv2), read once a day. Where the data comes from
Timeline
ID reserved
By apache
- 5 months later
· 5 months later
Published
- 3 years later
· 3 years later
Added to CISA KEV
Known exploited in the wild
- 17 months later
· 17 months later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| CISA-ADPADP (enrichment) | 3.1 | Critical9.1 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Analyzed | 3.1 | High7.5 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 98.0% · top 0.1% of all CVEs (12 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: active · Automatable: yes · Technical impact: partial
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Critical 9.1.
Affected products
Apache Software Foundation · Apache Flink
- affected Apache Flink 1.11.0 to 1.11.2
Affected packages
From reviewed advisories of the GitHub Advisory Database.
- Mavenorg.apache.flink:flink-runtime_2.11GHSA-395w-qhqr-9fr6 (opens in a new tab)
- Mavenorg.apache.flink:flink-runtime_2.12GHSA-395w-qhqr-9fr6 (opens in a new tab)
References
References17
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r6843202556a6d0bce9607ebc02e303f68fc88e9038235598bde3b50d%40%3Cdev.flink.apache.org%3E (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCmailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
- [flink-user] 20210105 [CVE-2020-17519] Apache Flink directory traversal attack: reading remote files through the REST API (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
- [announce] 20210105 [CVE-2020-17519] Apache Flink directory traversal attack: reading remote files through the REST API (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
- [oss-security] 20210105 [CVE-2020-17519] Apache Flink directory traversal attack: reading remote files through the REST API (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
- [flink-issues] 20210106 [GitHub] [flink-web] zentol commented on a change in pull request #408: Add security page for Flink (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/160849/Apache-Flink-1.11.0-Arbitrary-File-Read-Directory-Traversal.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- [flink-issues] 20210110 [jira] [Updated] (FLINK-20916) Typo in test for CVE-2020-17519 (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
- [flink-dev] 20210110 [jira] [Created] (FLINK-20916) Typo in test for CVE-2020-17519 (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
- [flink-issues] 20210110 [jira] [Created] (FLINK-20916) Typo in test for CVE-2020-17519 (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
- [flink-issues] 20210111 [jira] [Assigned] (FLINK-20916) Typo in test for CVE-2020-17519 (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
- [flink-issues] 20210111 [jira] [Commented] (FLINK-20916) Typo in test for CVE-2020-17519 (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
- [flink-dev] 20210113 Re: [DISCUSS] Releasing Apache Flink 1.10.3 (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
- [flink-dev] 20210115 Re: [DISCUSS] Releasing Apache Flink 1.10.3 (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
- [announce] 20210125 Apache Software Foundation Security Report: 2020 (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
- [announce] 20210223 Re: Apache Software Foundation Security Report: 2020 (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r26fcdd4fe288323006253437ebc4dd6fdfadfb5e93465a0e4f68420d%40%3Cuser-zh.flink.apache.org%3E (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-17519 (opens in a new tab)government-resource
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- CISA KEV catalog (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2021-0481 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-395w-qhqr-9fr6 (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2020-17519)Record last updated .