PatchTheCVECVE-2020-22785: Etherpad < 1.8.3 is affected by a missing lock check which could cause a denial of service
CVE-2020-22785 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.5) affecting etherpad. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.
Etherpad < 1.8.3 is affected by a missing lock check which could cause a denial of service. Aggressively targeting random pad import endpoints with empty data would flatten all pads due to lack of rate limiting and missing ownership check.
Why this priority
- High severity
- Public exploit reference
- Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action
A fixed release or distro patch exists.
Risk facts
| CVSS score | 7.5 (High) |
| Attack vector | Network (remote) |
| Attack complexity | Low |
| Privileges needed | None |
| User interaction | None |
| EPSS exploit chance | 1.1% (top 35%) |
| CISA exploited list | No |
| Weakness | CWE-770 |
| Published | 2021-04-28 |
| Last modified | 2026-06-17 |
Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score
Am I affected?
Timeline
- Published CVE record published
- Updated Record last modified
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-2020-22785?
etherpad: upgrade to 1.8.3. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.
Is CVE-2020-22785 being exploited?
CVE-2020-22785 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-2020-22785 affect?
CVE-2020-22785 affects etherpad. Severity is high (CVSS 7.5). Etherpad < 1.8.3 is affected by a missing lock check which could cause a denial of service. Aggressively targeting random pad import endpoints with empty data would flatten all pads due to lack of rate limiting and missing ownership check.
How urgent is CVE-2020-22785?
Priority 52/100. High severity; Public exploit reference; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action
Related CVEs
- CVE-2021-43802 CRITICAL 9.9 UPGRADE Etherpad is a real-time collaborative editor
- CVE-2021-34817 MEDIUM 6.1 DOWNGRADE A Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) issue in the chat component of Etherpad 1.8.13 allows remote attackers to inject
- CVE-2021-34816 HIGH 7.2 DOWNGRADE An Argument Injection issue in the plugin management of Etherpad 1.8.13 allows privileged users to execute arb
- CVE-2020-22783 MEDIUM 6.5 UPGRADE Etherpad <1.8.3 stored passwords used by users insecurely in the database and in log files
- CVE-2020-22782 HIGH 7.5 UPGRADE Etherpad < 1.8.3 is affected by a denial of service in the import functionality