CVE-2020-8014

Root escalation via symlink-following chown package scriptlet

Published Jun 29, 2020 · Updated Sep 17, 2024

Symlink following in openSUSE Leap 15.1 and Tumbleweed kopano-spamd packages allows local users with kopano privileges to gain root. The RPM installation scriptlets recursively run chown on /var/lib/kopano/spamd while following symbolic links, so a kopano-controlled link redirects the root-run ownership change to another filesystem object. Exploitation requires local control of the kopano account and a privileged package installation or update, after which attacker-chosen files can be reassigned to enable root-level access.

CVSS severity7.7
High
EPSS probability0.50%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Symlink following in openSUSE Leap 15.1 and Tumbleweed kopano-spamd packages allows local users with kopano privileges to gain root. The RPM installation scriptlets recursively run chown on /var/lib/kopano/spamd while following symbolic links, so a kopano-controlled link redirects the root-run ownership change to another filesystem object. Exploitation requires local control of the kopano account and a privileged package installation or update, after which attacker-chosen files can be reassigned to enable root-level access.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-8014
Published
Jun 29, 2020
Updated
Sep 17, 2024
Vendor
OpenSUSE
Product
openSUSE Leap
Classifications
CWE-61, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 29, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 17, 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=kopano-spamd <10.0.5-lp151.4.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

OpenSUSE · openSUSE Leapversion=kopano-spamd <10.0.5-lp151.4.1
OpenSUSE · openSUSE Tumbleweedversion=kopano-spamd <10.0.5-1.1

Published CVSS scores

7.7SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
7.2NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
7.8NIST NVDCVSS: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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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-61UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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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