CVE-2019-20794

Name: CVE-2019-20794
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-05-09T18:15:11.157+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 4.7/10EPSS 0.51%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2019-20794 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 4.7/10 on the CVSS scale. An issue was discovered in the Linux kernel 4.18 through 5.6.11 when unprivileged user namespaces are allowed. A user can create their own PID namespace, and mount a FUSE filesystem. EPSS estimates a 0.51% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

An issue was discovered in the Linux kernel 4.18 through 5.6.11 when unprivileged user namespaces are allowed. A user can create their own PID namespace, and mount a FUSE filesystem. Upon interaction with this FUSE filesystem, if the userspace component is terminated via a kill of the PID namespace's pid 1, it will result in a hung task, and resources being permanently locked up until system reboot. This can result in resource exhaustion.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

4.7/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability

0.51%

39.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-772

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 4.18, <= 5.6.11

References

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/08/24/1Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/sargun/fuse-exampleExploit, Third Party Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20200608-0001/Third Party Advisory
https://sourceforge.net/p/fuse/mailman/message/36598753/Exploit, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/08/24/1Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/sargun/fuse-exampleExploit, Third Party Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20200608-0001/Third Party Advisory
https://sourceforge.net/p/fuse/mailman/message/36598753/Exploit, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: May 9, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-20794?

How severe is CVE-2019-20794?

CVE-2019-20794 has a CVSS score of 4.7/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.51% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2019-20794?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2019-20794?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST