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CVE-2020-12656

5.5 · MEDIUM

gss_mech_free in net/sunrpc/auth_gss/gss_mech_switch.c in the rpcsec_gss_krb5 implementation in the Linux kernel through 5.6.10 lacks certain domain_release calls, leading to a memory leak.

Published May 5, 2020CWE-401EPSS 0.33%

Overview

CVE-2020-12656 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on May 5, 2020 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

Technical description

gss_mech_free in net/sunrpc/auth_gss/gss_mech_switch.c in the rpcsec_gss_krb5 implementation in the Linux kernel through 5.6.10 lacks certain domain_release calls, leading to a memory leak. Note: This was disputed with the assertion that the issue does not grant any access not already available. It is a problem that on unloading a specific kernel module some memory is leaked, but loading kernel modules is a privileged operation. A user could also write a kernel module to consume any amount of memory they like and load that replicating the effect of this bug

Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

References

Reflists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-06/msg00022.htmlReflists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-07/msg00008.htmlRefbugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=206651Refusn.ubuntu.com/4483-1/Refusn.ubuntu.com/4485-1/Reflists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-06/msg00022.htmlReflists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-07/msg00008.htmlRefbugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=206651Refusn.ubuntu.com/4483-1/Refusn.ubuntu.com/4485-1/

How CyberStrike helps

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-12656?

CVE-2020-12656 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on May 5, 2020 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2020-12656?

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

How do I fix or remediate CVE-2020-12656?

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2020-12656?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2020-12656 is actually reachable in your own applications and APIs, then verifies each finding before reporting it. That tells you if the weakness is a real, exploitable risk in your environment or a false positive you can safely deprioritize.

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