CVE-2020-13160Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Remote code execution via discovery format string

Published Jun 9, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Format string injection in AnyDesk before 5.5.3 on Linux and FreeBSD allows remote attackers to execute code via UDP discovery. The GUI frontend passes a GLib invalid-UTF-8 error containing an attacker-controlled discovery hostname or username to vsnprintf as its format string. The discovery service is always running, but the GUI must load or refresh; successful exploitation executes code as the user who started it.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability80.55%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Format string injection in AnyDesk before 5.5.3 on Linux and FreeBSD allows remote attackers to execute code via UDP discovery. The GUI frontend passes a GLib invalid-UTF-8 error containing an attacker-controlled discovery hostname or username to vsnprintf as its format string. The discovery service is always running, but the GUI must load or refresh; successful exploitation executes code as the user who started it.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-13160
Published
Jun 9, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-134, T1203
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 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 vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

7.5NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
9.8NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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.

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)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-134Use of Externally-Controlled Format String
T1203Exploitation for Client Execution

Public exploit references

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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