CVE-2020-10737

Name: CVE-2020-10737
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-05-27T01:15:09.23+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 6.3/10EPSS 0.29%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-10737 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.3/10 on the CVSS scale. A race condition was found in the mkhomedir tool shipped with the oddjob package in versions before 0.34.5 and 0.34.6 wherein, during the home creation, mkhomedir copies the /etc/skel directory into the newly created home and changes its ownership to the home's user without properly checking the homedir path. This flaw allows an attacker to leverage this issue by creating a symlink point to a target folder, which then has its ownership transferred to the new home directory's unprivileged user.. EPSS estimates a 0.29% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A race condition was found in the mkhomedir tool shipped with the oddjob package in versions before 0.34.5 and 0.34.6 wherein, during the home creation, mkhomedir copies the /etc/skel directory into the newly created home and changes its ownership to the home's user without properly checking the homedir path. This flaw allows an attacker to leverage this issue by creating a symlink point to a target folder, which then has its ownership transferred to the new home directory's unprivileged user.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.3/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.29%

20.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Redhat	Oddjob	< 0.34.5

References

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2020-10737Issue Tracking, Vendor Advisory
https://pagure.io/oddjob/c/10b8aaa1564b723a005b53acc069df71313f4cac?branchPatch, Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2020-10737Issue Tracking, Vendor Advisory
https://pagure.io/oddjob/c/10b8aaa1564b723a005b53acc069df71313f4cac?branchPatch, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: May 27, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-10737?

How severe is CVE-2020-10737?

CVE-2020-10737 has a CVSS score of 6.3/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.29% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-10737?

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-2020-10737?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST