How to check if you are exposed to CVE-2020-17496
- Find every vBulletin system you or your clients run, including ones exposed to the internet. Those come first: CISA only lists flaws attackers are already using.
- Compare each version with the fixed versions in the vendor advisory. Where no fix exists yet, apply the vendor’s mitigation or take the system off the internet.
- Run a credentialed vulnerability scan to catch the systems you missed, then check that the next scan no longer reports CVE-2020-17496.
US federal agencies had to fix this by 2022-05-03. Everyone else should treat that deadline as a guide: if it has passed, this is overdue.
Affected versions
Versions the National Vulnerability Database lists as vulnerable to CVE-2020-17496. Check the vendor advisory for the exact fixed builds before you sign anything off.
| Product | Vulnerable versions |
|---|---|
| Vbulletin | from 5.5.4 up to and including 5.6.2 |
Timeline
- · Published in the National Vulnerability Database
- · Added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, 448 days after it was published
- · Fix-by date for US federal agencies, passed 1,643 days ago
Weakness type
More exploited vBulletin vulnerabilities
CISA lists 2 exploited vBulletin vulnerabilities. The closest matches:
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Sources: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (version 2026.10.30); EPSS data from FIRST.org; CVSS and descriptions from the NIST National Vulnerability Database. Checked 2026-11-01. This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.