CVE-2020-12826

Cross-domain signal injection via exec_id overflow

Published May 12, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Integer overflow in the Linux kernel before 5.6.5 allows local users to send arbitrary signals to parent processes across security domains. The 32-bit exec_id field in include/linux/sched.h can wrap, defeating do_notify_parent security-domain checks and permitting a child to signal a parent process. Exploitation requires local low-privilege execution and sufficient elapsed time for the counter to overflow; reported consequences include crashing targeted applications, with no demonstrated kernel takeover.

CVSS severity5.3
Medium
EPSS probability0.71%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Integer overflow in the Linux kernel before 5.6.5 allows local users to send arbitrary signals to parent processes across security domains. The 32-bit exec_id field in include/linux/sched.h can wrap, defeating do_notify_parent security-domain checks and permitting a child to signal a parent process. Exploitation requires local low-privilege execution and sufficient elapsed time for the counter to overflow; reported consequences include crashing targeted applications, with no demonstrated kernel takeover.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-12826
Published
May 12, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-190
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 12, 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 privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

5.3NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-190Integer Overflow or Wraparound

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

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Your stack

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