What is CVE-2020-5232?

CVE-2020-5232 is a high-severity security vulnerability in @ensdomains/ens (npm), affecting versions < 0.4.0. It is fixed in 0.4.0.

How severe is CVE-2020-5232?

CVE-2020-5232 has a CVSS score of 8.7 (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 @ensdomains/ens are affected by CVE-2020-5232?

@ensdomains/ens (npm) versions < 0.4.0 is affected.

Is there a fix for CVE-2020-5232?

Yes. CVE-2020-5232 is fixed in 0.4.0. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2020-5232 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2020-5232 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-2020-5232 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-2020-5232?

Upgrade @ensdomains/ens to 0.4.0 or later.

CVE-2020-5232 in @ensdomains/ens

Q: How severe is CVE-2020-5232?

CVE-2020-5232 has a CVSS score of 8.7 (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 @ensdomains/ens are affected by CVE-2020-5232?

@ensdomains/ens (npm) versions < 0.4.0 is affected.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2020-5232?

Yes. CVE-2020-5232 is fixed in 0.4.0. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2020-5232 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2020-5232 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-2020-5232 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-2020-5232?

Upgrade @ensdomains/ens to 0.4.0 or later.

Summary

Malicious takeover of previously owned ENS names

Workarounds

Do not accept transfers of ENS domains from other users on the old registrar.

Impact

A user who owns an ENS domain can set a "trapdoor", allowing them to transfer ownership to another user, and later regain ownership without the new owner's consent or awareness.

CVE-2020-5232 has a CVSS score of 8.7 (High). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and user interaction required. 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 (0.4.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

@ensdomains/ens (< 0.4.0)

Security releases

@ensdomains/ens → 0.4.0 (npm)

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.

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Remediation advice

A new ENS deployment is being rolled out that fixes this vulnerability in the ENS registry. The registry is newly deployed at 0x00000000000C2E074eC69A0dFb2997BA6C7d2e1e.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-5232? CVE-2020-5232 is a high-severity security vulnerability in @ensdomains/ens (npm), affecting versions < 0.4.0. It is fixed in 0.4.0.
How severe is CVE-2020-5232? CVE-2020-5232 has a CVSS score of 8.7 (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 @ensdomains/ens are affected by CVE-2020-5232? @ensdomains/ens (npm) versions < 0.4.0 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2020-5232? Yes. CVE-2020-5232 is fixed in 0.4.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2020-5232 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2020-5232 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-2020-5232 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-2020-5232? Upgrade @ensdomains/ens to 0.4.0 or later.