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Vulnerabilities

Vulnerability · CVE-2020-1740

A flaw was found in Ansible Engine when using Ansible Vault for editing encrypted files.

Published Mar 16, 2020 · catalog updated Jun 17, 2026 · A flaw was found

Last checked Nov 6, 2026. A connected source was read within the last 7 days.

Check if you run it

No confirmed exploitation is on record for CVE-2020-1740. EPSS is 0.36%. Act only if a listed version of A flaw was found is installed.

Gaps on this record

  • The stored product name is a package slug. The name on this page is taken from the title (A flaw was found).
  • No vendor fix or required action is stored. Compare the linked advisory before you change production.

Same product and reporting

Severity
Medium4.7
Known exploitation
Not in CISA/VulnCheck KEV
EPSS
0.36%
Remediation
Version ranges on file
Affected products
cpe redhat/ansible · cpe redhat/ansible tower

A flaw was found in Ansible Engine when using Ansible Vault for editing encrypted files. When a user executes "ansible-vault edit", another user on the same computer can read the old and new secret, as it is created in a temporary file with mkstemp and the returned file descriptor is closed and the method write_data is called to write the existing secret in the file. This method will delete the file before recreating it insecurely. All versions in 2.7.x, 2.8.x and 2.9.x branches are believed to be vulnerable.

Are you affected?

Enter the version you run. The result uses only the ranges stored on this record.

The check returns affected, not affected, or incomplete. It does not guess a version that is missing from the record.

  • cpe redhat/ansible< 2.7.17
  • cpe redhat/ansible< 2.8.11
  • cpe redhat/ansible< 2.9.7
  • cpe redhat/ansible tower<= 3.3.4
  • cpe redhat/ansible tower>= 3.3.5, <= 3.4.5
  • cpe redhat/ansible tower>= 3.5.0, <= 3.5.5

How to fix CVE-2020-1740

What to do

Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.

Should you patch?

No confirmed exploitation is on record for CVE-2020-1740. EPSS is 0.36%. Act only if a listed version of A flaw was found is installed.

Which versions are affected?

Compare what you have installed with redhat/ansible tower <= 3.3.4; redhat/ansible tower >= 3.3.5, <= 3.4.5; redhat/ansible tower >= 3.5.0, <= 3.5.5. Compare the installed version with the linked vendor advisory before you change production.

What should an analyst verify?

CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information; CWE-377. EPSS 0.36%. There is no CISA KEV listing. No Exploit-DB or Metasploit reference is linked. Use the source links for the original advisory.

Technology hubs

Ansible security

Code

The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.

Timeline

Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.

  1. Mar 16, 2020 · Monitored products — high

    Detected

    A flaw was found in Ansible Engine when using Ansible Vault for editing encrypted files. When a user executes "ansible-vault edit", another user on the same computer can read the old and new secret, as it is created in a temporary file with mkstemp and the returned file descriptor is closed and the method write_data is called to write the existing secret in the file. This method will delete the fi

  2. Jun 17, 2026 · Monitored products — high

    Updated

    A flaw was found in Ansible Engine when using Ansible Vault for editing encrypted files. When a user executes "ansible-vault edit", another user on the same computer can read the old and new secret, as it is created in a temporary file with mkstemp and the returned file descriptor is closed and the method write_data is called to write the existing secret in the file. This method will delete the fi

Sources

  • CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2020-1740

    Official CVE identifier

    cve.org
  • FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2020-1740

    30-day exploitation probability 0.36%

    first.org
  • Monitored products — highVendor advisoryCVE-2020-1740

    A flaw was found in Ansible Engine when using Ansible Vault for editing encrypted files. When a user executes "ansible-vault edit", another user on the same computer can read the old and new secret, as it is created in a temporary file with mkstemp and the returned file descriptor is closed and the method write_data is called to write the existing secret in the file. This method will delete the fi

    nvd.nist.gov

References

Freshness

Last verified in this catalog Nov 6, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.

  • FIRST EPSSNov 6, 2026
  • CVE.orgNov 4, 2026
  • Monitored products — highNov 2, 2026