CVE-2020-35730 — Roundcube Webmail Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerability
An XSS issue was discovered in Roundcube Webmail before 1.2.13, 1.3.x before 1.3.16, and 1.4.x before 1.4.10. The attacker can send a plain text e-mail message, with JavaScript in a link reference element that is mishandled by linkref_addindex in rcube_string_replacer.php.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Confirmed exploitation (CISA KEV)+35
- Public exploit/PoC (github)+6
- EPSS 32.9% (30-day exploitation probability)+15
- Technical severity (medium)+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.
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.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — github.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
CISA required action CISA
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
US federal deadline: Jul 13, 2023 — passed 1190 day(s) ago
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.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Debian Debian Linux, Fedoraproject Fedora, Roundcube Webmail).
- Treat as emergency remediation: the CVE is in CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- Exploitation requires user interaction: tighten email/web filtering and warn affected users.
- EPSS ahead of 98% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (cross-site scripting), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debian | Debian Linux | version 9.0 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Fedoraproject | Fedora | version 32version 33 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Roundcube | Webmail | < 1.2.13≥ 1.3.0 and < 1.3.16≥ 1.4 and < 1.4.10 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.1 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | 2.8 | 2.7 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 6.1 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | 2.8 | 2.7 | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 6.1 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
| 6.1 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | — | — | CISA-ADP via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| 4.3 | CVSS 2.0 | Medium | 8.6 | 2.9 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
CISA KEV details CISA
CISA lists a CVE once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.
CISA records ransomware use only for campaigns it has confirmed, so “Unknown” means unrecorded, not ruled out. The deadline binds US federal agencies; for everyone else it is a reference date.
Public exploits, PoCs and detection templates
Public code that demonstrates or tests the flaw raises the odds of mass exploitation — and Nuclei templates help find vulnerable assets in your environment.
Warning: public PoCs are sometimes disguised malware. Use them only for authorized testing in an isolated environment. This portal does not host exploit code — it only points to the sources.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 12, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 3 reading(s) · max 32.92%
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).
- Monitor CSP violation reports and script payloads in reflected parameters.
- Hunt retroactively in logs from before Jun 22, 2023 (KEV listing): exploitation may have started earlier.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Fix documented
- Affected products added · roundcube/webmail, fedoraproject/fedora, debian/debian linux
- CVSS changed · 6.1
- Source status changed · → Analyzed
- Added to CISA KEV (detected)
- Record created in this database
- 2023
- Added to CISA KEV catalog
- 2020
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
17 on the record
- github.com/roundcube/roundcubemail/compare/1.4.9...1.4.10
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
- roundcube.net/download/
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-mr5j-h8xf-5m2m
- github.com/roundcube/roundcubemail/releases/tag/1.3.16
- www.alexbirnberg.com/roundcube-xss.html
- bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi
- github.com/roundcube/roundcubemail/releases/tag/1.4.10
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/HCEU
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/HCEU
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/HCEU4B
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/HMLI
- github.com/roundcube/roundcubemail/releases/tag/1.2.13
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/HMLI
- roundcube.net/download
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-35730
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/HMLIZW
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Medium CVE-2026-75010 Incorrect Resource Transfer Between Spheres in Roundcube Webmail Aug 17, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-75004 Command Injection in Roundcube Webmail Aug 17, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-75006 Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) in Roundcube Webmail Aug 17, 2026
- High CVE-2026-75007 Command Injection in Roundcube Webmail Aug 17, 2026
- High CVE-2026-74997 OS Command Injection in Roundcube Webmail Aug 17, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-74999 Cross-site Scripting (XSS) in Roundcube Webmail Aug 17, 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-2020-35730 is "Roundcube Webmail Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerability", rated Medium. It affects Debian Linux (Debian); versions are in the scope table. It is in CISA KEV: there is evidence of real-world exploitation. CVSS 6.1 describes technical severity. EPSS 32.92% 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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