Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2019-20923 can let a logged-in MongoDB user who is allowed to run database queries crash affected MongoDB Server 4.0 instances. The business impact is service disruption, not data theft or tampering, based on the provided CVSS vector.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate availability risk. Remediate promptly where affected MongoDB 4.0 supports important applications, especially if many users or applications have query access.
Technical view
MongoDB Server 4.0 versions before 4.0.7 mishandle specially crafted queries that throw unhandled JavaScript exceptions involving internal JavaScript engine types. The flaw is classified as CWE-749 and has CVSS 3.1 score 6.5: network reachable, low complexity, low privileges, no user interaction, high availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to MongoDB Server v4.0 deployments prior to 4.0.7 where a user can authenticate and perform database queries. The provided sources do not identify other affected MongoDB versions or products.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or other evidence of active exploitation. Exploitation requires query privileges, so the main realistic concern is misuse by compromised, malicious, or overly broad database accounts.
Researcher notes
The provided evidence supports denial of service only. It does not support confidentiality impact, integrity impact, unauthenticated exploitation, active exploitation, or affected versions beyond MongoDB Server 4.0 before 4.0.7. Avoid assuming exploit maturity from the CVE text alone.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade affected MongoDB Server 4.0 deployments to 4.0.7 or later.
- Confirm vendor guidance in MongoDB SERVER-39481 before production rollout.
- Restrict database query privileges to users and applications that require them.
- Prioritize internet-facing or business-critical MongoDB 4.0 instances first.
Validation and detection
- Inventory MongoDB Server versions across production and non-production environments.
- Confirm no MongoDB Server 4.0 instance remains below version 4.0.7.
- Review accounts with permission to perform database queries on affected instances.
- Check monitoring for unexplained MongoDB crashes or availability incidents.
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-749: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. 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 lookupDatabase behavior lookup
The CVE wording references database injection or access, so collection and exfiltration review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2019-20923 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
- Medium
- CVSS
- 6.5 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
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.
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:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H2.83.6Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
6.5MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://jira.mongodb.org/browse/SERVER-39481CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
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.
Exposed Dangerous Method or Function
Exposed Dangerous Method or Function represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.