CVE-2020-10769

Local crash via unaligned authenc key payload

Published Jun 26, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Buffer over-read in the Linux kernel before 5.0 allows local users to crash the system through an unaligned authenc key payload. crypto_authenc_extractkeys() subtracts an aligned rtattr length without ensuring that the key reaches that boundary, underflowing keylen and over-reading memory during crypto_ahash_setkey(). Local access with user privileges is required, and successful exploitation interrupts availability by crashing the host.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.49%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Buffer over-read in the Linux kernel before 5.0 allows local users to crash the system through an unaligned authenc key payload. crypto_authenc_extractkeys() subtracts an aligned rtattr length without ensuring that the key reaches that boundary, underflowing keylen and over-reading memory during crypto_ahash_setkey(). Local access with user privileges is required, and successful exploitation interrupts availability by crashing the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-10769
Published
Jun 26, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-119, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 26, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=All kernel versions before 5.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=All kernel versions before 5.0

Published CVSS scores

5.5Red HatCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-119Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo