CVE-2020-5741Known exploitationPublic exploitNetwork attack vector

Authenticated code execution via unsafe Dict unpickling

Published May 8, 2020 · Updated Oct 21, 2025

Deserialization in Plex Media Server before 1.19.3 on Windows allows remote authenticated users to execute Python code through Camera Upload. The plugin framework's Dict.__load routine passes an uploaded Dict file to Data.__unpickle, which invokes pickle.load without validating its contents. Administrator account access is required to create a photo library, redirect LocalAppDataPath, upload the crafted file, and restart the system plug-in; code runs as the server process user.

CVSS severity7.2
High
EPSS probability72.94%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationReported
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Deserialization in Plex Media Server before 1.19.3 on Windows allows remote authenticated users to execute Python code through Camera Upload. The plugin framework's Dict.__load routine passes an uploaded Dict file to Data.__unpickle, which invokes pickle.load without validating its contents. Administrator account access is required to create a photo library, redirect LocalAppDataPath, upload the crafted file, and restart the system plug-in; code runs as the server process user.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-5741
Published
May 8, 2020
Updated
Oct 21, 2025
Vendor
Plex, Inc.
Product
Plex Media Server
Classifications
CWE-502, T1190
Attack vector
network
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 8, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 21, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=Versions prior to 1.19.3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Plex, Inc. · Plex Media Serverversion=Versions prior to 1.19.3

Published CVSS scores

6.0TenableAV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:P/I:P/A:P
7.2NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.5NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:P/A:P

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationReported
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-502Deserialization of Untrusted Data
T1190Exploit Public-Facing Application

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Reported exploitation

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo