Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This CVE describes a reflected cross-site scripting issue in KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training before 2020-01-10. An attacker would need a user to interact with a maliciously crafted link or request. Successful exploitation could expose limited data or alter user-facing behavior in the browser.
Executive priority
Treat as a moderate-priority web application risk. It is not documented as actively exploited, but it affects a security-awareness platform where phishing-style user interaction is realistic. Confirm exposure and vendor remediation status promptly.
Technical view
The issue is CWE-79 reflected XSS. The CVE description says a response includes a SCRIPT element that sets window.location.href to a JavaScript URL. CVSS 3.1 is 6.1: network exploitable, low complexity, no privileges, user interaction required, changed scope, low confidentiality and integrity impact, no availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure appears limited to organizations using KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training application code from before 2020-01-10. The source bundle provides no CPEs and marks default status as unaffected, so asset owners should confirm product history and current tenant status.
Exploitation context
No KEV listing or provided source claims active exploitation. The CVSS vector indicates exploitation requires user interaction, typically making this a phishing-assisted browser issue rather than direct server compromise.
Researcher notes
Evidence is thin: the CVE record and referenced blog identify reflected XSS and the vulnerable date boundary, but do not provide CPEs, detailed fixed versions, or exploitation telemetry. Avoid broad product assumptions beyond the named KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training application.
Mitigation direction
- Confirm the application is not running pre-2020-01-10 code.
- Check KnowBe4 vendor guidance or support records for remediation details.
- Prioritize review of externally reachable training or authentication flows.
- Apply vendor-supported updates if any affected instance is found.
- Use browser security headers as defense-in-depth, not primary remediation.
Validation and detection
- Inventory current and historical KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training usage.
- Verify deployment or tenant status is newer than 2020-01-10.
- Review vulnerability management records for this CVE.
- Test affected flows with approved XSS validation methods only.
- Check logs for suspicious links targeting training application endpoints.
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-79: User-session and phishing behavior lookup
Client-side and session-facing weaknesses should be reviewed alongside initial-access and user-execution behaviors. 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 lookupCVE-2020-36844 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
- 6.1 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A: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.
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:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N2.82.7Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
6.1MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.doyler.net/security-not-included/knowbe4-vulnerabilitiesCVE reference
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 Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.