CVE-2020-8835Known exploitationPublic exploit

Local privilege escalation via incorrect eBPF bounds

Published Apr 2, 2020 · Updated Sep 17, 2024

Out-of-bounds access in Linux Kernel 5.4.7 through 5.4.28, 5.5.0 through 5.5.13, and 5.6 allows local users to gain root privileges. The eBPF verifier's 32-bit jump-bound update derives a narrow tracked-number range from only a register's minimum and maximum values, so crafted code can make it accept out-of-bounds map-pointer arithmetic. Exploitation requires the ability to load unprivileged eBPF programs; the resulting primitive permits arbitrary kernel-memory reads and writes.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability6.01%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationReported
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Out-of-bounds access in Linux Kernel 5.4.7 through 5.4.28, 5.5.0 through 5.5.13, and 5.6 allows local users to gain root privileges. The eBPF verifier's 32-bit jump-bound update derives a narrow tracked-number range from only a register's minimum and maximum values, so crafted code can make it accept out-of-bounds map-pointer arithmetic. Exploitation requires the ability to load unprivileged eBPF programs; the resulting primitive permits arbitrary kernel-memory reads and writes.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-8835
Published
Apr 2, 2020
Updated
Sep 17, 2024
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-787, CWE-125, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 2, 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=5.4.7 <5.4-stable* changes=[{"at":"5.4.29","status":"unaffected"}]
  2. Affected versionversion=5.5-stable <5.5.14
  3. Affected versionversion=5.6-stable <5.6.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=5.4.7 <5.4-stable* changes=[{"at":"5.4.29","status":"unaffected"}]; version=5.5-stable <5.5.14; version=5.6-stable <5.6.1

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8Canonical Ltd.CVSS: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.

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 exploitationReported
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-787Out-of-bounds Write
CWE-125Out-of-bounds Read
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Reported exploitation

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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