CVE-2020-10768

Name: CVE-2020-10768
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-09-16T00:15:11.943+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 5.5/10EPSS 0.40%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-10768 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.5/10 on the CVSS scale. A flaw was found in the Linux Kernel before 5.8-rc1 in the prctl() function, where it can be used to enable indirect branch speculation after it has been disabled. This call incorrectly reports it as being 'force disabled' when it is not and opens the system to Spectre v2 attacks. EPSS estimates a 0.40% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A flaw was found in the Linux Kernel before 5.8-rc1 in the prctl() function, where it can be used to enable indirect branch speculation after it has been disabled. This call incorrectly reports it as being 'force disabled' when it is not and opens the system to Spectre v2 attacks. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to confidentiality.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.40%

31.5th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-440

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux Kernel	< 5.8.0

References

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2020-10768Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=4d8df8cbb9156b0a0ab3f802b80cb5db57acc0bfPatch, Vendor Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2020-10768Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=4d8df8cbb9156b0a0ab3f802b80cb5db57acc0bfPatch, Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Sep 16, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-10768?

How severe is CVE-2020-10768?

CVE-2020-10768 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.40% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-10768?

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-2020-10768?

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

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Source: NVD / NIST