Path traversal in Pulse Secure Desktop Client
Priority MEDIUM 42CWE-23Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
A vulnerability in the Pulse Secure Desktop Client < 9.1R9 has Remote Code Execution (RCE) if users can be convinced to connect to a malicious server. This vulnerability only affects Windows PDC.To improve the security of connections between Pulse clients and Pulse Connect Secure, see below recommendation(s):Disable Dynamic certificate trust for PDC.
Why it matters now
EPSS 0.02123 82nd percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix No fix listed No fixed version in the sources yet
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Pulse Secure Desktop Client | 9.1R9 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- Pulse Secure Desktop Client Vendor— Affected 9.1R9 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 14
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:*:*:*:*:*:windows:*:* | before 9.1 | Vulnerable | Pulse Secure |
| cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r1:*:*:*:windows:*:* | 9.1 r1 | Vulnerable | Pulse Secure |
| cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r2:*:*:*:windows:*:* | 9.1 r2 | Vulnerable | Pulse Secure |
| cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r3:*:*:*:windows:*:* | 9.1 r3 | Vulnerable | Pulse Secure |
| cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r3.1:*:*:*:windows:*:* | 9.1 r3.1 | Vulnerable | Pulse Secure |
| cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r4:*:*:*:windows:*:* | 9.1 r4 | Vulnerable | Pulse Secure |
| cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r4.1:*:*:*:windows:*:* | 9.1 r4.1 | Vulnerable | Pulse Secure |
| cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r4.2:*:*:*:windows:*:* | 9.1 r4.2 | Vulnerable | Pulse Secure |
| cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r5:*:*:*:windows:*:* | 9.1 r5 | Vulnerable | Pulse Secure |
| cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r6:*:*:*:windows:*:* | 9.1 r6 | Vulnerable | Pulse Secure |
- cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:*:*:*:*:*:windows:*:* Versions before 9.1 Vulnerable ·Pulse Secure
- cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r1:*:*:*:windows:*:* Versions 9.1 r1 Vulnerable ·Pulse Secure
- cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r2:*:*:*:windows:*:* Versions 9.1 r2 Vulnerable ·Pulse Secure
- cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r3:*:*:*:windows:*:* Versions 9.1 r3 Vulnerable ·Pulse Secure
- cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r3.1:*:*:*:windows:*:* Versions 9.1 r3.1 Vulnerable ·Pulse Secure
- cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r4:*:*:*:windows:*:* Versions 9.1 r4 Vulnerable ·Pulse Secure
- cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r4.1:*:*:*:windows:*:* Versions 9.1 r4.1 Vulnerable ·Pulse Secure
- cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r4.2:*:*:*:windows:*:* Versions 9.1 r4.2 Vulnerable ·Pulse Secure
- cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r5:*:*:*:windows:*:* Versions 9.1 r5 Vulnerable ·Pulse Secure
- cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r6:*:*:*:windows:*:* Versions 9.1 r6 Vulnerable ·Pulse Secure
Show 4 more CPE
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r7:*:*:*:windows:*:* | 9.1 r7 | Vulnerable | Pulse Secure |
| cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r7.1:*:*:*:windows:*:* | 9.1 r7.1 | Vulnerable | Pulse Secure |
| cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r8:*:*:*:windows:*:* | 9.1 r8 | Vulnerable | Pulse Secure |
| cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r8.2:*:*:*:windows:*:* | 9.1 r8.2 | Vulnerable | Pulse Secure |
- cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r7:*:*:*:windows:*:* Versions 9.1 r7 Vulnerable ·Pulse Secure
- cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r7.1:*:*:*:windows:*:* Versions 9.1 r7.1 Vulnerable ·Pulse Secure
- cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r8:*:*:*:windows:*:* Versions 9.1 r8 Vulnerable ·Pulse Secure
- cpe:2.3:a:pulsesecure:pulse_secure_desktop_client:9.1:r8.2:*:*:*:windows:*:* Versions 9.1 r8.2 Vulnerable ·Pulse Secure
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2020-8254
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-p993-j26m-6v98
References
More Pulse Secure Desktop Client vulnerabilities
- TI-2020-10343 A time-of-check time-of-use vulnerability in PulseSecureService.exe in Pulse Secure… CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.0
- TI-2020-06657 A vulnerability in the Pulse Secure Desktop Client < 9.1R9 is vulnerable to the client… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2019-08391 In Pulse Secure Pulse Desktop Client and Network Connect, an attacker could access… CVSS 3.0HIGH 8.1
- TI-2020-06659 A vulnerability in the Pulse Secure Desktop Client < 9.1R9 could allow the attacker to… CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2020-06668 A vulnerability in the Pulse Secure Desktop Client (Linux) < 9.1R9 could allow local attackers to escalate privilege. CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.8
- TI-2020-06667 Buffer overflow in Pulse Secure Desktop Client CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.8
Sources
- CVE-2020-8254 · CVE Program
- CVE-2020-8254 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-p993-j26m-6v98 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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