CVE-2020-22916Public exploit

Disputed disk consumption via finite decompression expansion

Published Aug 22, 2023 · Updated Oct 29, 2024

Resource consumption in XZ Utils 5.2.5 allows local users to fill storage by decompressing a crafted .lzma file to disk. The corrupt input uses a 256-byte dictionary, and the decoder deterministically writes 114,881,179 bytes before reporting an error. The vendor classifies this as normal finite decompression rather than a denial of service; user interaction and output redirection are required, and no memory exhaustion or endless output occurs.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.25%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Resource consumption in XZ Utils 5.2.5 allows local users to fill storage by decompressing a crafted .lzma file to disk. The corrupt input uses a 256-byte dictionary, and the decoder deterministically writes 114,881,179 bytes before reporting an error. The vendor classifies this as normal finite decompression rather than a denial of service; user interaction and output redirection are required, and no memory exhaustion or endless output occurs.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-22916
Published
Aug 22, 2023
Updated
Oct 29, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
Unavailable
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 22, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 29, 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 privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

3.3SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
5.5CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

No sourced classifications are available.

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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