What it is
CVE-2020-10189 is an unauthenticated vulnerability affecting Zoho ManageEngine Desktop Central. Zoho ManageEngine Desktop Central before 10.0.474 allows remote code execution because of deserialization of untrusted...
Vulnerability report
Exploited in the wild
Confirmed confidence
In CISA KEV
CVE-2020-10189
ManageEngine Desktop Central Remote Code Execution
Zoho / ManageEngine Desktop Central
- Severity
- CVSS 9.8 · Critical
- Confidence
- Confirmed
- Exploit status
- Exploited in the wild
- EPSS
- 99.9%
- First observed
- —
- Last observed
- —
Decision summary
What security teams need to know first
Direct answers before the deeper technical record.
Is it exploited?
Yes. Previdian tracks this CVE as a known exploited vulnerability. Confidence is confirmed. Listed in CISA KEV. Also confirmed by third-party sources.
Who is affected?
Zoho / ManageEngine Desktop Central.
What should we do?
Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
Overview
ManageEngine Desktop Central Remote Code Execution
Zoho ManageEngine Desktop Central before 10.0.474 allows remote code execution because of deserialization of untrusted data in getChartImage in the FileStorage class.
This is related to the CewolfServlet and MDMLogUploaderServlet servlets.
- Published
- 06 Mar 2020
- Exploitation Reported
- 03 Nov 2021
- Attack vector
- Remote
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
Tags
nuclei_scanner
metasploit
cisa
CVE References
- CVE Record CVE.org · CVE Record https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-10189
- srcincite.io/advisories/src-2020-0011 srcincite.io · CVE Record https://srcincite.io/advisories/src-2020-0011/
- zdnet.com/article/zoho-zero-day-published-on-twitter zdnet.com · CVE Record https://www.zdnet.com/article/zoho-zero-day-published-on-twitter/
- srcincite.io/pocs/src-2020-0011.py.txt srcincite.io · CVE Record https://srcincite.io/pocs/src-2020-0011.py.txt
- manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/remote-code-executi... manageengine.com · CVE Record https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/remote-code-exe...
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/156730/ManageEngine-Desktop-Central-Ja... packetstormsecurity.com · CVE Record http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/156730/ManageEngine-Desktop-Cent...
- cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/502.html cwe.mitre.org · CVE Record https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/502.html
Exploitation evidence
Why Previdian marks this CVE as exploited
Third-party attestation and first-party sensor observation are shown separately so teams can judge the evidence chain.
Exploited in the wild
CISA
A trusted third party reported exploitation.
Proof of concept available
GitHub
Public scanner or PoC coverage increases practical exploitability.
Known exploited vulnerability sources
Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the Previdian Pro API.
Learn about Pro API access| Source | Added |
|---|---|
| CISA First | 2021-11-03 00:00 UTC |
| The Shadowserver | 2026-07-08 00:00 UTC |
Detection
Operational artifacts and observed signals
Make the evidence actionable in scanner, SOC, and edge-control workflows.
Observed signals
- Request targets
- User-Agents
- Callback hosts
- 0
- 0
- 0
Request targets and User-Agents available in Pro. Callback host details available in Enterprise.
Scanner coverage
Metasploit template detected 28 Apr 2025.
View Metasploit template (opens in new tab)Virtual patch status
No Previdian virtual patch is currently available. Future rules ship for ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF.
Learn about virtual patches →Scanner Artifacts
Scanner and exploit-framework references linked to this CVE.
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit | https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/http/desktopcentral_deserialization.rb | 28 Apr 2025 |
| Nuclei | https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2020/CVE-2020-10189.yaml | 25 Apr 2025 |
Risk and context
Severity, weaknesses, and research context
CVSS v3.1
9.8
Critical
Potential damage if exploited. Separate from whether attackers are using it.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS
99.9%
Estimated chance of exploitation in the next 30 days. Previdian's warning comes from evidence, not this score.
Weaknesses
All CVSS Scores
CVSS v3.1
9.8
Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS v3.0
9.8
Critical
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS v2.0
10.0
High
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Potential Proof of Concepts
These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.
ManageEngine Desktop Central Java Deserialization
nuclei · Created Unknown
Timeline
From disclosure to observed exploitation
-
00:00 UTC
KEV confirmed by The Shadowserver
Exploitation attested by an external source
-
15:02 UTC
Metasploit module available
Exploit module available
-
15:02 UTC
Public PoC available
Public proof-of-concept code published
-
00:00 UTC
Nuclei template available
Scanner coverage available
-
00:00 UTC
Added to CISA KEV
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
-
16:05 UTC
CVE published
Vulnerability disclosed publicly
-
00:00 UTC
CVE ID reserved
Identifier reserved by the CNA
Pro API
Automate this intelligence
Confidence, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.
- Evidence confidence and provenance
- First-party sensor telemetry
- PoC and scanner references
- Affected versions and enrichment
- Automation-ready JSON delivery
GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2020-10189
Sample API response{
"cve_id": "CVE-2020-10189",
"confidence": "Confirmed",
"cvss_score": 9.8,
"cvss_estimated": false,
"epss_score": 0.99941,
"exploit_status": {
"exploited_in_the_wild": true,
"active_exploitation_observed": false
},
"sensor_telemetry": { "attempts": 0, "sensors": 0 }
}