RCE (remote code execution)
A vulnerability that lets an attacker run their own code on your server or device over the network.
RCE is usually the worst class of bug: the attacker gets whatever the process can reach, such as environment variables with API keys, the database and the internal network. Common causes are unsafe deserialization, command injection and template injection. Without a login required, it is typically rated critical, as with the React Server Components flaw known as React2Shell.
Related terms
- CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures): A public catalog that gives each known security vulnerability one ID, such as CVE-2025-55182, so everyone talks about the same bug.
- CVSS (vulnerability severity score): A 0 to 10 score of how severe a vulnerability is, from how it is exploited and what it lets an attacker do.
- WAF (web application firewall): A filter in front of a web app that blocks malicious HTTP requests before they reach your code.
