CVE-2020-12049

Name: CVE-2020-12049
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-06-08T17:15:09.91+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 5.5/10EPSS 0.57%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-12049 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.5/10 on the CVSS scale. An issue was discovered in dbus >= 1.3.0 before 1.12.18. The DBusServer in libdbus, as used in dbus-daemon, leaks file descriptors when a message exceeds the per-message file descriptor limit. EPSS estimates a 0.57% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

An issue was discovered in dbus >= 1.3.0 before 1.12.18. The DBusServer in libdbus, as used in dbus-daemon, leaks file descriptors when a message exceeds the per-message file descriptor limit. A local attacker with access to the D-Bus system bus or another system service's private AF_UNIX socket could use this to make the system service reach its file descriptor limit, denying service to subsequent D-Bus clients.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.57%

42.8th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-404

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Freedesktop	Dbus	>= 1.3.0, < 1.12.18
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	12.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	14.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	16.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	18.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	19.10
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	20.04

References

http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/172840/D-Bus-File-Descriptor-Leak-Denial-Of-Service.html
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/06/04/3Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/dbus/dbus/-/issues/294Exploit, Third Party Advisory
https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/dbus/dbus/-/tags/dbus-1.10.30Third Party Advisory
https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/dbus/dbus/-/tags/dbus-1.12.18Third Party Advisory
https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/dbus/dbus/-/tags/dbus-1.13.16Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202007-46Third Party Advisory
https://securitylab.github.com/advisories/GHSL-2020-057-DBus-DoS-file-descriptor-leakExploit, Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4398-1/Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4398-2/Third Party Advisory
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/172840/D-Bus-File-Descriptor-Leak-Denial-Of-Service.html
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/06/04/3Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/dbus/dbus/-/issues/294Exploit, Third Party Advisory
https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/dbus/dbus/-/tags/dbus-1.10.30Third Party Advisory
https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/dbus/dbus/-/tags/dbus-1.12.18Third Party Advisory
https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/dbus/dbus/-/tags/dbus-1.13.16Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202007-46Third Party Advisory
https://securitylab.github.com/advisories/GHSL-2020-057-DBus-DoS-file-descriptor-leakExploit, Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4398-1/Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4398-2/Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jun 8, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-12049?

How severe is CVE-2020-12049?

CVE-2020-12049 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.57% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-12049?

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-2020-12049?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST