What is CVE-2020-17534?

CVE-2020-17534 is a high-severity race condition vulnerability in org.netbeans.html:pom (maven), affecting versions < 1.7.1. It is fixed in 1.7.1. Multiple concurrent operations access a shared resource without proper synchronization, producing unpredictable results depending on timing.

How severe is CVE-2020-17534?

CVE-2020-17534 has a CVSS score of 7.0 (High). 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.

Which versions of org.netbeans.html:pom are affected by CVE-2020-17534?

org.netbeans.html:pom (maven) versions < 1.7.1 is affected.

Is there a fix for CVE-2020-17534?

Yes. CVE-2020-17534 is fixed in 1.7.1. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2020-17534 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2020-17534 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.

What actually determines whether CVE-2020-17534 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.

CVE-2020-17534 in org.netbeans.html:pom

Q: How severe is CVE-2020-17534?

CVE-2020-17534 has a CVSS score of 7.0 (High). 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.

Q: Which versions of org.netbeans.html:pom are affected by CVE-2020-17534?

org.netbeans.html:pom (maven) versions < 1.7.1 is affected.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2020-17534?

Yes. CVE-2020-17534 is fixed in 1.7.1. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2020-17534 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2020-17534 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.

Q: What actually determines whether CVE-2020-17534 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.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2020-17534?

Upgrade org.netbeans.html:pom to 1.7.1 or later.

Summary

Improper synchronization in Apache Netbeans HTML/Java API

There exists a race condition between the deletion of the temporary file and the creation of the temporary directory in webkit subproject of HTML/Java API version 1.7. A similar vulnerability has recently been disclosed in other Java projects and the fix in HTML/Java API version 1.7.1 follows theirs: To avoid local privilege escalation version 1.7.1 creates the temporary directory atomically without dealing with the temporary file.

Impact

Multiple concurrent operations access a shared resource without proper synchronization, producing unpredictable results depending on timing. Typical impact: TOCTOU exploits, data corruption, or privilege escalation.

CVE-2020-17534 has a CVSS score of 7.0 (High). 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 (1.7.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

org.netbeans.html:pom (< 1.7.1)

Security releases

org.netbeans.html:pom → 1.7.1 (maven)

Kodem intelligence

Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.

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. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.

Already deployed Kodem?

See it in your environment New to Kodem? Get a demo →

Remediation advice

Upgrade org.netbeans.html:pom to 1.7.1 or later to resolve this vulnerability.

Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-17534? CVE-2020-17534 is a high-severity race condition vulnerability in org.netbeans.html:pom (maven), affecting versions < 1.7.1. It is fixed in 1.7.1. Multiple concurrent operations access a shared resource without proper synchronization, producing unpredictable results depending on timing.
How severe is CVE-2020-17534? CVE-2020-17534 has a CVSS score of 7.0 (High). 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.
Which versions of org.netbeans.html:pom are affected by CVE-2020-17534? org.netbeans.html:pom (maven) versions < 1.7.1 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2020-17534? Yes. CVE-2020-17534 is fixed in 1.7.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2020-17534 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2020-17534 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
What actually determines whether CVE-2020-17534 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.
How do I fix CVE-2020-17534? Upgrade org.netbeans.html:pom to 1.7.1 or later.