CVE-2020-7961Known exploitationPublic exploitNetwork attack vector

Unauthenticated code execution via arbitrary JSONWS type selection

Published Mar 20, 2020 · Updated Oct 21, 2025

Unsafe deserialization in Liferay Portal before 7.2.1 CE GA2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code through JSONWS. JSONWebServiceActionParameters accepts attacker-set parameter types, and Jodd Json rebuilds the supplied object before JSONWS invokes a method using that type. No authentication or user interaction is required; successful exploitation invokes attacker-selected methods with the portal server's privileges.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability99.91%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationReported
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Unsafe deserialization in Liferay Portal before 7.2.1 CE GA2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code through JSONWS. JSONWebServiceActionParameters accepts attacker-set parameter types, and Jodd Json rebuilds the supplied object before JSONWS invokes a method using that type. No authentication or user interaction is required; successful exploitation invokes attacker-selected methods with the portal server's privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-7961
Published
Mar 20, 2020
Updated
Oct 21, 2025
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-502, T1190
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 20, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 8, 2021Exploitation reportedFreakOut botnet campaign
  3. Oct 21, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

9.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
9.3GitHub Advisory DatabaseCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:A
7.5NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
9.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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
Privilegesunauthenticated
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

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Your stack

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