CVE-2020-1734

Local command execution via unsafe pipe shell

Published Mar 3, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Ansible pipe lookup plugin in affected releases allows local users to execute arbitrary commands via fact-overridden variables. The plugin calls subprocess.Popen with shell=True and passes a variable that can be overwritten through Ansible facts without quote escaping. Exploitation requires local control-node execution and user interaction with a playbook or lookup expression, with command execution confined to that control node.

CVSS severity7.4
High
EPSS probability0.45%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Ansible pipe lookup plugin in affected releases allows local users to execute arbitrary commands via fact-overridden variables. The plugin calls subprocess.Popen with shell=True and passes a variable that can be overwritten through Ansible facts without quote escaping. Exploitation requires local control-node execution and user interaction with a playbook or lookup expression, with command execution confined to that control node.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-1734
Published
Mar 3, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Red Hat
Product
Ansible
Classifications
CWE-78, T1059
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 3, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

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  1. Affected versionversion=n/a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Red Hat · Ansibleversion=n/a

Published CVSS scores

7.4NVD (Red Hat CNA)CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:L

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-78Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
T1059Command and Scripting Interpreter

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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