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Application & OT Security · Foundational

Remote Code Execution (RCE)

The ability of an attacker to execute arbitrary code on a target system over a network.

Definition

RCE is the most severe impact class and can result from injection, deserialization, memory corruption, file upload or template injection flaws. It typically receives CVSS scores of 9.0 or higher when unauthenticated. Defenses combine secure coding, patching, least privilege and runtime isolation.

Example

Log4Shell allowed unauthenticated RCE by logging a crafted string.

Exam tip

RCE is an impact, not a root cause; identify the underlying weakness for remediation questions.

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