CVE-2020-8018

Local privilege escalation via user-owned /etc

Published May 4, 2020 · Updated Sep 16, 2024

Incorrect default permissions in SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1 allow local users with UID 1000 to escalate to root via a user-owned /etc directory. The affected BYOS images leave /etc owned by that unprivileged account, allowing system configuration files to be altered and root execution paths to be manipulated. Exploitation requires local UID 1000 access; successful modification can compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.29%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Incorrect default permissions in SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1 allow local users with UID 1000 to escalate to root via a user-owned /etc directory. The affected BYOS images leave /etc owned by that unprivileged account, allowing system configuration files to be altered and root execution paths to be manipulated. Exploitation requires local UID 1000 access; successful modification can compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-8018
Published
May 4, 2020
Updated
Sep 16, 2024
Vendor
SUSE
Product
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
Classifications
CWE-276, CWE-276, T1222.001
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 4, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 16, 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=SLES15-SP1-CAP-Deployment-BYOS <=1.0.1
  2. Affected versionversion=SLES15-SP1-CHOST-BYOS <=1.0.3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

SUSE · SUSE Linux Enterprise Serverversion=SLES15-SP1-CAP-Deployment-BYOS <=1.0.1; version=SLES15-SP1-CHOST-BYOS <=1.0.3

Published CVSS scores

8.4SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.2NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

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-276Incorrect Default Permissions
CWE-276Incorrect Default Permissions
T1222.001File and Directory Permissions Modification

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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