CVE-2020-36243
HighThe Patient Portal of OpenEMR 5.0.2.1 is affected by a Command Injection vulnerability in /interface/main/backup.php.
Published Feb 7, 2021 · Updated Jul 8, 2026
Key Facts
Patch immediately- CVE-2020-36243 is a high-severity vulnerability (CVSS 8.8 v3.1) affecting Openemr (Open-Emr).
- It is not listed in any known-exploited vulnerabilities catalog. No public exploit code is known.
- EPSS estimates a 64% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- No fixed version is listed yet; check the vendor advisory for mitigations.
- Brandefense priority: patch immediately, because it is very likely to be exploited soon.
CVSS v3.1
8.8
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS (30-day exploit likelihood)
64%
Higher than 99.2% of all scored CVEs
Exploited in the wild
No known
Not in a known-exploited catalog
Public exploit code
None known
Get the full CVE-2020-36243 brief as a PDF
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Description
The Patient Portal of OpenEMR 5.0.2.1 is affected by a Command Injection vulnerability in /interface/main/backup.php. To exploit the vulnerability, an authenticated attacker can send a POST request that executes arbitrary OS commands via shell metacharacters.
Affected Products
1 affected entries in total| Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| OpenemrOpen-Emr | 5.0.2.1 | n/a |
Timeline
Publicly disclosed
Feb 7, 2021
Last updated
Jul 8, 2026
Weakness Type
- CWE-78 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
References
- patchhttps://community.open-emr.org/t/openemr-5-0-2-patch-5-has-been-released/15431
- patchhttps://community.sonarsource.com/t/openemr-5-0-2-1-command-injection-vulnerability-puts-health-records-at-risk/33592
- patchhttps://www.open-emr.org/wiki/index.php/OpenEMR_Patches
- exploithttps://blog.sonarsource.com/openemr-5-0-2-1-command-injection-vulnerability
FAQ
Common Questions.
The Patient Portal of OpenEMR 5.0.2.1 is affected by a Command Injection vulnerability in /interface/main/backup.php.
Affected: Openemr (Open-Emr) versions 5.0.2.1. The full list is in the CVE brief.
It is not listed in any known-exploited vulnerabilities catalog.
No, it is not currently listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
No public exploit code is known.
No fixed version is listed yet; check the vendor advisory for mitigations.
Brandefense priority: patch immediately, because it is very likely to be exploited soon.
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