Menu

Star on GitHub · 3.2k

CVE-2020-36789

5.5 · MEDIUM

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: can: dev: can_get_echo_skb(): prevent call to kfree_skb() in hard IRQ context If a driver calls can_get_echo_skb() during a har…

Published Apr 17, 2025CWE-476EPSS 0.19%

Overview

CVE-2020-36789 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on April 17, 2025 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

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

can: dev: can_get_echo_skb(): prevent call to kfree_skb() in hard IRQ context

If a driver calls can_get_echo_skb() during a hardware IRQ (which is often, but

not always, the case), the 'WARN_ON(in_irq)' in

net/core/skbuff.c#skb_release_head_state() might be triggered, under network

congestion circumstances, together with the potential risk of a NULL pointer

dereference.

The root cause of this issue is the call to kfree_skb() instead of

dev_kfree_skb_irq() in net/core/dev.c#enqueue_to_backlog().

This patch prevents the skb to be freed within the call to netif_rx() by

incrementing its reference count with skb_get(). The skb is finally freed by

one of the in-irq-context safe functions: dev_consume_skb_any() or

dev_kfree_skb_any(). The "any" version is used because some drivers might call

can_get_echo_skb() in a normal context.

The reason for this issue to occur is that initially, in the core network

stack, loopback s

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.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-36789?

CVE-2020-36789 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on April 17, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2020-36789?

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-2020-36789?

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-2020-36789?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2020-36789 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.

Related MEDIUM CVEs from 2020

View all