CVE-2020-36787

Kernel panic via misordered video clock enabling

Published Feb 28, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Improper clock handling in the Linux ASPEED video driver allows local users to trigger a kernel panic on affected AST2500 systems. The driver enables eclk and de-asserts the video-engine reset before enabling vclk, permitting unexpected DMA transfers that corrupt random memory. The condition is limited to specific AST2500 SoCs, and udevd briefly activates the engine during every boot even when video is otherwise unused.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.23%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper clock handling in the Linux ASPEED video driver allows local users to trigger a kernel panic on affected AST2500 systems. The driver enables eclk and de-asserts the video-engine reset before enabling vclk, permitting unexpected DMA transfers that corrupt random memory. The condition is limited to specific AST2500 SoCs, and udevd briefly activates the engine during every boot even when video is otherwise unused.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-36787
Published
Feb 28, 2024
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 28, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 5, 2026Record 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=5.0
  2. Affected versionversion=d2b4387f3bdf016e266d23cf657465f557721488 <1dc1d30ac101bb8335d9852de2107af60c2580e7
  3. Affected versionversion=d2b4387f3bdf016e266d23cf657465f557721488 <2964c37563e86cfdc439f217eb3c5a69adfdba6a
  4. Affected versionversion=d2b4387f3bdf016e266d23cf657465f557721488 <3536169f8531c2c5b153921dc7d1ac9fd570cda7
  5. Affected versionversion=d2b4387f3bdf016e266d23cf657465f557721488 <75321dc8aebe3f30eff226028fe6da340fe0bf02
  6. Affected versionversion=d2b4387f3bdf016e266d23cf657465f557721488 <a59d01384c80a8a4392665802df57c3df20055f5

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.0; version=d2b4387f3bdf016e266d23cf657465f557721488 <1dc1d30ac101bb8335d9852de2107af60c2580e7; version=d2b4387f3bdf016e266d23cf657465f557721488 <2964c37563e86cfdc439f217eb3c5a69adfdba6a; version=d2b4387f3bdf016e266d23cf657465f557721488 <3536169f8531c2c5b153921dc7d1ac9fd570cda7; version=d2b4387f3bdf016e266d23cf657465f557721488 <75321dc8aebe3f30eff226028fe6da340fe0bf02; version=d2b4387f3bdf016e266d23cf657465f557721488 <a59d01384c80a8a4392665802df57c3df20055f5

Published CVSS scores

6.0Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
5.5NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.8Linux Kernel CNACVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/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

T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application 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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