CVE-2020-1707

Privilege escalation via writable container passwd file

Published Mar 20, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Privilege escalation in Red Hat PostgreSQL APB before 4.3.0 allows local users with container access to modify /etc/passwd. The container image assigns write permissions on /etc/passwd that permit its unprivileged runtime user to alter account records. Access to the running container is required; successful modification permits privilege escalation within that container.

CVSS severity7.0
High
EPSS probability0.26%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in Red Hat PostgreSQL APB before 4.3.0 allows local users with container access to modify /etc/passwd. The container image assigns write permissions on /etc/passwd that permit its unprivileged runtime user to alter account records. Access to the running container is required; successful modification permits privilege escalation within that container.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-1707
Published
Mar 20, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Red Hat
Product
PostgreSQL APB
Classifications
CWE-732, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 20, 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?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=n/a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Red Hat · PostgreSQL APBversion=n/a

Published CVSS scores

7.0Red HatCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.3NIST NVDAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
7.0NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-732Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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