CVE-2020-8142: A security restriction bypass vulnerability has been discovered in Revive Adserver version

A security restriction bypass vulnerability has been discovered in Revive Adserver version < 5.0.5 by HackerOne user hoangn144.

A security restriction bypass vulnerability has been discovered in Revive Adserver version < 5.0.5 by HackerOne user hoangn144. Revive Adserver, like many other applications, requires the logged in user to type the current password in order to change the e-mail address or the password. It was however possible for anyone with access to a Revive Adserver admin user interface to bypass such check and change e-email address or password of the currently logged in user by altering the form payload.The attack requires physical access to the user interface of a logged in user. If the POST payload was altered by turning the “pwold” parameter into an array, Revive Adserver would fetch and authorise the operation even if no password was provided.

Description from the National Vulnerability Database, published by support@hackerone.com

What it means for a small business

If your business uses Revive Adserver, install the vendor's update. If you're not sure whether you use it, ask whoever manages your computers.

How likely is an attack? The Exploit Prediction Scoring System, run by FIRST (the global association of security response teams), puts the odds of this one being exploited in the next 30 days at 0.63%, higher than 49% of CVEs. That’s low, but low isn’t zero, and the odds jump the day someone publishes an exploit. Scored October 28, 2026, updated daily.

Check your own setup

Website check: reads what your site runs from the outside (WordPress version, plugins it can see, old server software) and matches it against this database.
Server check: what your web server says about itself, and whether that version has known flaws.

Sources

Part of the Huttenlocher Technologies vulnerability database, refreshed twice a day from CISA and the NVD. The title, category and plain-language guidance are ours; check the linked record before acting on a detail. This is general guidance, not a review of your systems.

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