CVE-2020-12770

Kernel crash via uncleared SCSI request

Published May 9, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Improper error handling in the Linux kernel through 5.6.11 allows local users with administrative privileges to crash the system. When __copy_from_user fails in drivers/scsi/sg.c, sg_write returns without removing the newly allocated Sg_request from sfp->req_arr. Administrative or root access is required; the stale request can later be fetched through an invalid Sg_fd pointer, causing a kernel crash.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.59%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper error handling in the Linux kernel through 5.6.11 allows local users with administrative privileges to crash the system. When __copy_from_user fails in drivers/scsi/sg.c, sg_write returns without removing the newly allocated Sg_request from sfp->req_arr. Administrative or root access is required; the stale request can later be fetched through an invalid Sg_fd pointer, causing a kernel crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-12770
Published
May 9, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-824, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 9, 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

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

6.7NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.6NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
6.7Red HatCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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.

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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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-824Access of Uninitialized Pointer
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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