CVE-2020-5741
Plex Media Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Does this matter?
Known to be exploited in the wild (CISA KEV, CISA remediation deadline 31 March 2023). Treat as an emergency change: patch or isolate now, then hunt for prior compromise.
Description
Deserialization of Untrusted Data in Plex Media Server on Windows allows a remote, authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary Python code.
- CVSS 3.1
- 7.2 HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 72.94% probability · 99th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Listed 10 March 2023 · due 31 March 2023
- Weakness
- CWE-502
- Affected
- plex/media server
- Source
- vulnreport@tenable.com
EPSS 72.9% since 30 October 2026; no change recorded yet. The dashed line is the ten per cent mark our analysts treat as “patch before the next change window”. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
CISA notes
Apply updates per vendor instructions. https://forums.plex.tv/t/security-regarding-cve-2020-5741/586819; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-5741
References
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/158470/Plex-Unpickle-Dict-Windows-Remote-Code-Execution.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://www.tenable.com/security/research/tra-2020-32Exploit, Third Party Advisory
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/158470/Plex-Unpickle-Dict-Windows-Remote-Code-Execution.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://www.tenable.com/security/research/tra-2020-32Exploit, Third Party Advisory
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-5741US Government Resource
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.