Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Opening a malicious Maple Maplet file can run commands on a user's machine. The source bundle describes this as affecting Maple versions up to and including 13. It requires a user to open the file, but public exploit references exist, so legacy Maple environments should treat this as a serious file-handling risk.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation where legacy Maple is used on workstations handling external files. This is not described as remotely exploitable without user action, but public exploit material raises risk for targeted phishing or file-sharing attacks.
Technical view
The issue is command execution through Maple's Maplet framework, where embedded commands in a .maplet file execute automatically when opened, bypassing worksheet security restrictions. The bundle maps this to CWE-94 and CVSS 4.0 score 8.4. Affected-version metadata is incomplete or inconsistent, but the description states Maple <=13.
Likely exposure
Most exposure is likely in academic, engineering, scientific, or legacy desktop environments where Maple 13 or earlier remains installed and users can open .maplet files from email, downloads, or shared drives.
Exploitation context
The bundle includes public Exploit-DB and Metasploit references, indicating public exploit material exists. It does not cite CISA KEV listing or active exploitation. Exploitation appears local and user-assisted because the file must be opened.
Researcher notes
Evidence supports arbitrary command execution through Maplet file opening. Do not assume active exploitation from the provided sources. The affected field in the bundle is not clean, so validation should rely on the narrative claim of Maple <=13 and vendor confirmation.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory Maple installations and prioritize versions 13 or earlier.
- Check Maplesoft guidance for supported upgrades, patches, or official mitigations.
- Restrict or quarantine untrusted .maplet files at mail and web gateways.
- Limit Maple file associations on systems that do not need Maplet support.
- Review Juniper IPS coverage for the referenced Maplet command-execution signature.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether Maple 13 or earlier is installed on managed endpoints.
- Search mail, download, and file-share telemetry for untrusted .maplet files.
- Verify endpoint controls warn, block, or quarantine suspicious Maplet files.
- Check IDS or IPS logs for the Juniper Maplet signature name.
- Document any affected business groups and their upgrade path.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-94: Code execution behavior lookup
Code execution and unsafe deserialization weaknesses often justify reviewing execution behavior and process telemetry. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2010-20120 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 8.4 (4.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N——VulnCheckVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 4.0 score
8.4HighVector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.maplesoft.com/products/maple/CVE reference, VulnCheck · product
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/16308CVE reference, VulnCheck · exploit
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/master/modules/exploits/multi/fileformat/maple_maplet.rbCVE reference, VulnCheck · exploit
- https://www.juniper.net/us/en/threatlabs/ips-signatures/detail.HTTP:MISC:MAPLE-MAPLET-CMD-EXEC.htmlCVE reference, VulnCheck · third-party-advisory
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/maple-maplet-file-creation-command-executionCVE reference, VulnCheck · third-party-advisory
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.