CVE-2020-2851Public exploit

Local privilege escalation via X11 display-name overflow

Published Apr 15, 2020 · Updated Sep 27, 2024

Stack-based buffer overflow in Oracle Solaris 10 and 11 Common Desktop Environment allows local users to gain elevated privileges. The _DtCreateDtDirs() function copies an attacker-controlled X11 display name twice with strcpy() into fixed-size stack buffers in libDtSvc. Reaching the flaw requires local low-privilege access and execution of the setuid dtsession program; successful exploitation can take over the host.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.56%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Stack-based buffer overflow in Oracle Solaris 10 and 11 Common Desktop Environment allows local users to gain elevated privileges. The _DtCreateDtDirs() function copies an attacker-controlled X11 display name twice with strcpy() into fixed-size stack buffers in libDtSvc. Reaching the flaw requires local low-privilege access and execution of the setuid dtsession program; successful exploitation can take over the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-2851
Published
Apr 15, 2020
Updated
Sep 27, 2024
Vendor
Oracle
Product
Oracle Solaris
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 15, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 27, 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=10
  2. Affected versionversion=11

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Oracle · Oracle Solarisversion=10; version=11

Published CVSS scores

7.8OracleCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.4NIST NVDAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/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 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 exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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