CVE-2020-1753

Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File, Invocation of Process Using Visible Sensitive Information, and Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor in Ansible

A security flaw was found in Ansible Engine, all Ansible 2.7.x versions prior to 2.7.17, all Ansible 2.8.x versions prior to 2.8.11 and all Ansible 2.9.x versions prior to 2.9.7, when managing kubernetes using the k8s module. Sensitive parameters such as passwords and tokens are passed to kubectl from the command line, not using an environment variable or an input configuration file. This will disclose passwords and tokens from process list and no_log directive from debug module would not have any effect making these secrets being disclosed on stdout and log files.

CVE-2020-1753 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2.7.18, 2.8.12, 2.9.7); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Already deployed Kodem?

1. What is CVE-2020-1753? CVE-2020-1753 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in ansible (pip), affecting versions >= 2.7.0a1, < 2.7.18. It is fixed in 2.7.18, 2.8.12, 2.9.7.
2. How severe is CVE-2020-1753? CVE-2020-1753 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of ansible are affected by CVE-2020-1753? ansible (pip) versions >= 2.7.0a1, < 2.7.18 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2020-1753? Yes. CVE-2020-1753 is fixed in 2.7.18, 2.8.12, 2.9.7. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2020-1753 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2020-1753 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2020-1753 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2020-1753?
   • Upgrade ansible to 2.7.18 or later
   • Upgrade ansible to 2.8.12 or later
   • Upgrade ansible to 2.9.7 or later

Other vulnerabilities in ansible