CVE-2018-20752: An issue was discovered in Recon-ng before 4.9.5

Q: How do I fix CVE-2018-20752?

recon-ng: upgrade to 4.9.5. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2018-20752 being exploited?

CVE-2018-20752 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

Q: What does CVE-2018-20752 affect?

CVE-2018-20752 affects recon-ng. Severity is critical (CVSS 9.8). An issue was discovered in Recon-ng before 4.9.5. Lack of validation in the modules/reporting/csv.py file allows CSV injection. More specifically, when a Twitter user possesses an Excel macro for a username, it will not be properly sanitize

Q: How urgent is CVE-2018-20752?

Priority 62/100. Critical severity; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

This week

CRITICAL 9.8REMOTEUPGRADE

CVE-2018-20752 is a critical-severity flaw (CVSS 9.8) affecting recon-ng. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

An issue was discovered in Recon-ng before 4.9.5. Lack of validation in the modules/reporting/csv.py file allows CSV injection. More specifically, when a Twitter user possesses an Excel macro for a username, it will not be properly sanitized when exported to a CSV file. This can result in remote code execution for the attacker.

Why this priority

Critical severity
Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	9.8 (Critical)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	3.4% (top 11%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-1236
Published	2019-02-04
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: recon-ng project

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2019-02-04 21:29 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 01:53 UTCUpdated Record last modified

recon-ng project recon-ng UPGRADE

Affected: < 4.9.5

Fixed in: 4.9.5

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy recon-ng || rpm -q recon-ng || recon-ng --version

2. UPGRADE to 4.9.5 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade recon-ng

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade recon-ng

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2018-20752?

recon-ng: upgrade to 4.9.5. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2018-20752 being exploited?

CVE-2018-20752 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2018-20752 affect?

CVE-2018-20752 affects recon-ng. Severity is critical (CVSS 9.8). An issue was discovered in Recon-ng before 4.9.5. Lack of validation in the modules/reporting/csv.py file allows CSV injection. More specifically, when a Twitter user possesses an Excel macro for a username, it will not be properly sanitize

How urgent is CVE-2018-20752?

Priority 62/100. Critical severity; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

References

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