Threats / Roundcube / CVE-2020-12641
CVE-2020-12641
· EUVD no mirror located
· GCVE no mirror located
Verified 2026-08-04
Roundcube Webmail vulnerability
Roundcube Webmail allows remote code execution through shell metacharacters in im_convert_path or im_identify_path configuration settings, enabling arbitrary command execution.
Verdict
Today item — known-exploited.
An attacker can inject shell metacharacters into image processing configuration parameters to execute arbitrary code on the server hosting Roundcube Webmail, potentially compromising email data and system integrity.
CISA KEV Yes · 2023-06-224EPSS 0.84456 (verify live)5CVSS 9.8 (CISA)3CISA SSVC Exploitation: active · Automatable: yes · Impact: total3Exploit Public PoC / detection · nuclei template12
01
Is it exploitable?
— the evidence, ranked above the scoreReported exploitation
285 independent public reports of in-the-wild exploitation are cataloged.Distinct reporting sources (vendor, incident response, government); open them for the underlying claims.
Exploited in the wild
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2023-06-22).
Probability (EPSS)
EPSS 0.84456 — modeled likelihood of exploitation activity.EPSS is a daily-changing model output — open the source for today's value.
Severity / affected
CVSS 9.8 (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) · Affected: Roundcube, Roundcube Webmail. Confirm exact fixed builds in the vendor advisory.CVSS — CISA-assigned via the ADP container (CVE.org), version 3.1; the CNA left no metrics, so CISA's own score is used ahead of NVD.
Weakness (CWE)
Mapped to CWE-78 OS Command Injection — weakness family: Injection.CWE assignment from the public NVD record (may be stale); the weakness class drives how the flaw is exploited.
CISA SSVC (triage disposition)
Exploitation: active · Automatable: yes · Technical Impact: totalCISA's own stakeholder-specific triage inputs, published in the CVE record (CISA Coordinator role). NOTE: this is CISA's three decision points; the final Act/Attend/Track decision also requires a Mission & Well-being input not published here, so no overall decision is asserted.
Currency of the record
CISA added this to its KEV catalog 1144 days after the CVE record was published.KEV lag = CISA-KEV dateAdded − CVE.org datePublished; a floor on how long the known-exploited flaw sat in the public record before the federal catalog listed it. Severity/weakness here is CNA- or CISA-assigned (current at disclosure), independent of NVD's analysis backlog.
Public exploit available
Public exploit tooling is catalogued for this CVE (a public proof-of-concept / detection template). Catalog entries: nuclei template. We link the catalog page(s) only — no payload or code is hosted or restated here.Link, never host — the catalog page is the source; basicsecurity.net does not redistribute payloads.
02
Who’s exploiting it?
— attribution turns risk into urgencyAttribution not established
No confirmed (advisory-backed) threat-actor attribution is established for this record. Absence of a named actor is not absence of compromise — see Coverage & confidence.
03
Why it matters
— the attack path, told twice: adversary, then board1
Front door — unauthenticated access narrative 1
Attacker
I craft a malicious configuration or exploit a misconfigured Roundcube instance to inject shell metacharacters into im_convert_path or im_identify_path settings.
Business
The organization's email server becomes compromised, exposing sensitive communications and user credentials stored within Roundcube.
2
Keys to the kingdom — privilege/identity takeover narrative 2
Attacker
I trigger image processing operations that invoke the poisoned configuration parameters, causing the server to execute my injected shell commands.
Business
Attackers gain persistent access to the underlying server infrastructure, enabling lateral movement and data exfiltration across the organization's network.
3
Lateral reach — past segmentation narrative 3
Attacker
I establish a foothold to deploy additional malware, create backdoor accounts, or pivot to other systems on the network.
Business
The organization faces operational disruption, potential regulatory violations, and reputational damage from a compromised email system.
04
What to do
— defensible action- Remediate per the vendor advisory — confirm the fixed build for your version and verify exposure.1
Say it to the boardA vulnerability with this evidence profile is a defensible budget line, not a backlog ticket — fund the change against the proof above.
05