CVE-2020-22650Network attack vector

Remote crash via unreleased alarm-event UUIDs

Published Jul 19, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Memory leak in sim-organizer.c in AlienVault OSSIM 5.0 allows remote attackers to crash the system by generating many alarm events. In the alarm-event path, sim_uuid_new() allocates event->backlog_id, but sim_event_unref() runs without releasing that allocation. Repeated alarm events steadily consume memory; no authentication or user interaction is required, and the reported consequence is an availability-only system crash.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability1.07%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Memory leak in sim-organizer.c in AlienVault OSSIM 5.0 allows remote attackers to crash the system by generating many alarm events. In the alarm-event path, sim_uuid_new() allocates event->backlog_id, but sim_event_unref() runs without releasing that allocation. Repeated alarm events steadily consume memory; no authentication or user interaction is required, and the reported consequence is an availability-only system crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-22650
Published
Jul 19, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-401, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 19, 2021CVE 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

5.0NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
7.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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.

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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)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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