# CVE-2020-8644: PlaySMS Server-Side Template Injection Vulnerability

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2020-8644-playsms-server-side-template-injection-vulnerability  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2021-11-03. Updated: 2026-05-10  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2020-8644 · Severity: critical · CVSS 9.8 · Exploited in the wild · Published 2021-11-03

PlaySMS before version 1.4.3 contains a server-side template injection (SSTI) vulnerability due to improper sanitization of input strings. An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this to execute arbitrary code on the server.

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2020-8644 exploited in the wild?** Yes. CVE-2020-8644 is known to be exploited in the wild, first recorded on 3 November 2021. Treat it as urgent.

**How severe is CVE-2020-8644?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.8, published 3 November 2021.

**Which products and versions are affected?** PlaySMS PlaySMS before 1.4.3.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2020-8644?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2020-8644 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a web application.

**Am I affected by CVE-2020-8644?** Check whether you run Playsms. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Affected products

- PlaySMS PlaySMS before 1.4.3

## Timeline

- 2020-02-05: disclosed: PlaySMS 1.4.3 released to address the vulnerability
- 2020-02-05: advisory: NVD Published Date
- 2020-02-11: other: Technical advisory published by NCC Group
- 2021-11-03: kev added: Added to CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog