CVE Intelligence
Medium Input validation

CVE-2020-13956 — Improper Input Validation in Apache Software Foundation Httpclient

Apache HttpClient versions prior to version 4.5.13 and 5.0.3 can misinterpret malformed authority component in request URIs passed to the library as java.net.URI object and pick the wrong target host for request execution.

Published Dec 2, 2020 · Updated Oct 13, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: apache

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.
How the score was calculated
  • EPSS 9% (30-day exploitation probability)+14
  • Technical severity (medium)+3
  • Automatable exploitation (SSVC)+3

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation
Not confirmed
Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.
EPSS FIRST
9.03%
ahead of 95% of scored CVEs · Oct 14, 2026
Affects
Apache Software Foundation
Httpclient and 16 more
CVSS base
5.3
Medium · 3 source(s)

CISA SSVC assessment CISA

Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.

Exploitation
None
none · proof-of-concept · active
Automatable
Yes
can an attacker script the kill-chain steps
Technical impact
Partial
partial · total control of the vulnerable component

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

  • Documented patch — www.oracle.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
  • Documented patch — www.oracle.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
  • Documented patch — www.oracle.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
  • Documented patch — www.oracle.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

  1. Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Apache Software Foundation Httpclient, Netapp Active Iq Unified Manager, Netapp Snapcenter…).
  2. The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
  3. Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
  4. EPSS ahead of 95% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
  5. Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (input validation), errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

VendorProductVersionsStatusSource
Apache Software Foundation Httpclient ≥ 5.0.0 and < 5.0.3< 4.5.13 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Netapp Active Iq Unified Manager versions not specified by the source Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Netapp Snapcenter versions not specified by the source Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Oracle Commerce Guided Search version 11.3.2 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Oracle Communications Cloud Native Core Service Communication Proxy version 1.14.0 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Oracle Data Integrator version 12.2.1.3.0version 12.2.1.4.0 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Oracle Jd Edwards Enterpriseone Orchestrator < 9.2.6.0 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Oracle Jd Edwards Enterpriseone Tools < 9.2.6.0 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Oracle Nosql Database < 20.3 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Oracle Peoplesoft Enterprise Peopletools version 8.58version 8.57 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Oracle Peoplesoft Enterprise Pt Peopletools version 8.59version 8.58version 8.57 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Oracle Primavera Unifier version 16.2version 20.12version 19.12version 18.8version 16.1≥ 17.7 and ≤ 17.12 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Oracle Retail Customer Management And Segmentation Foundation ≥ 16.0 and ≤ 19.0 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Oracle Spatial Studio < 20.1.1 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Oracle Sql Developer < 20.4.1.407.0006< 21.99 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Oracle Weblogic Server version 14.1.1.0.0version 12.2.1.4.0 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Quarkus Quarkus < 1.7.6 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

ScoreVersionSeverityExpl.ImpactScored by
5.3 CVSS 3.1 Medium 3.9 1.4 nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database
5.3 CVSS 3.1 Medium 3.9 1.4 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 via NIST National Vulnerability Database
5.3 CVSS 3.1 Medium — — CISA-ADP via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
5.0 CVSS 2.0 Medium 10.0 2.9 nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov)

Weakness MITRE

Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.

CWE-20 · Improper Input Validation

Other CVEs with this weakness →

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 9.03%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

  • Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
web/proxy/WAF logsnetwork IDS/IPS

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

  • 2026
  • SSVC assessment updated
    Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Record published
    Oct 13, 2026
  • Fix documented
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • CVSS changed · 5.3
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Source status changed · → Modified
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Record created in this database
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • 2020
  • CVE published
    Dec 2, 2020 · apache

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

  • 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026

References

64 on the record

Elsewhere on this site

Apache Software Foundation
every CVE for this vendor
Input validation
same class
CWE-20
other pages naming this weakness

Related CVEs (same products)

  • CVE-2026-83038 Vulnerability in the Oracle WebLogic Server product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component:... Sep 15, 2026
  • CVE-2026-83021 Improper Authentication in Oracle Weblogic Server Sep 15, 2026
  • CVE-2026-83016 Improper Access Control in Oracle Peoplesoft Enterprise Peopletools Sep 15, 2026
  • CVE-2026-83017 Improper Access Control in Oracle Peoplesoft Enterprise Peopletools Sep 15, 2026
  • CVE-2026-83019 Improper Access Control in Oracle Peoplesoft Enterprise Peopletools Sep 15, 2026
  • CVE-2026-83015 Improper Access Control in Oracle Peoplesoft Enterprise Peopletools Sep 15, 2026

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

  • No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
  • No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
  • No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2020-13956 is "Improper Input Validation in Apache Software Foundation Httpclient", rated Medium. It affects Httpclient (Apache Software Foundation); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 5.3 describes technical severity. EPSS 9.03% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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