CVE-2020-9746 | Exploitable NULL pointer deref could lead to arbitrary code execution

Adobe Flash Player version 32.0.0.433 (and earlier) are affected by an exploitable NULL pointer dereference vulnerability that could result in a crash and arbitrary code execution. Exploitation of this issue requires an attacker to insert malicious strings in an HTTP response that is by default delivered over TLS/SSL.

Published: 2020-10-14 Last update: 2024-11-21 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]
NVD Status：Modified，CVE State: published
View at NVD, CVE.org, EUVD

CVE-2020-9746 is rated Moderate Risk (58.9/100): CVSS High severity, with medium exploitation likelihood (EPSS 2.58%). Review affected assets and schedule remediation.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2020-9746

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-06-01 1.67% 2.58% +0.91%
2 2025-11-21 3.71% 1.67% -2.04%
3 2025-11-18 — 3.71% —

Full EPSS history (17 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2020-9746

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
7.0 3.1 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:L)
They already need access on the box, or another person has to do something wrong; it’s not a remote drive-by.
Attack complexity (AC:H)
Even with access, the exploit needs extra luck, timing, or a fussy environment to actually work.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:R)
A real person has to do something—click, install, enable—otherwise it doesn’t land.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
 1.0 5.9 [email protected]
8.8 3.1 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:R)
A real person has to do something—click, install, enable—otherwise it doesn’t land.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
 2.8 5.9 [email protected]
9.3 2.0 HIGH
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C Click to expand
Access vector (AV:N)
Can be exploited remotely over network reachability.
Access complexity (AC:M)
Exploitation needs some favorable conditions, but not exceptional ones.
Authentication (AU:N)
No authentication is required.
Confidentiality impact (C:C)
Complete confidentiality impact.
Integrity impact (I:C)
Complete integrity impact.
Availability impact (A:C)
Complete availability impact.
 8.6 10.0 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2020-9746

OS Trackers for CVE-2020-9746

vendor priority summary link
redhat critical — https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2020-9746
ubuntu medium CVE-2020-9746 medium priority: Ubuntu including 2 source packages (adobe-flashplugin, flashplugin-nonfree), 10 status rows across 5 suites (bionic, focal, trusty, upstream, xenial): released 5, DNE 3, needs-triage 2. https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2020-9746

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2020-9746

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
adobe flash_player <= 32.0.0.433 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
adobe flash_player < 32.0.0.433 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:*:*:*:*:*:chrome:*:*
adobe flash_player < 32.0.0.387 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:*:*:*:*:*:edge:*:*
adobe flash_player < 32.0.0.387 cpe:2.3:a:adobe:flash_player:*:*:*:*:*:internet_explorer_11:*:*

References for CVE-2020-9746

cvelogic Threat Intelligence