CVE-2020-12278

Name: CVE-2020-12278
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-04-27T17:15:13.407+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

CRITICALCVSS 9.8/10EPSS 5.11%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-12278 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 9.8/10 on the CVSS scale. An issue was discovered in libgit2 before 0.28.4 and 0.9x before 0.99.0. path.c mishandles equivalent filenames that exist because of NTFS Alternate Data Streams. EPSS estimates a 5.11% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

An issue was discovered in libgit2 before 0.28.4 and 0.9x before 0.99.0. path.c mishandles equivalent filenames that exist because of NTFS Alternate Data Streams. This may allow remote code execution when cloning a repository. This issue is similar to CVE-2019-1352.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

9.8/10

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

EPSS Probability

5.11%

91.3th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-706

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Libgit2	Libgit2	< 0.28.4
Debian	Debian Linux	9.0

References

https://github.com/git/git/security/advisories/GHSA-5wph-8frv-58vjThird Party Advisory
https://github.com/libgit2/libgit2/commit/3f7851eadca36a99627ad78cbe56a40d3776ed01Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/libgit2/libgit2/commit/e1832eb20a7089f6383cfce474f213157f5300cbPatch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/libgit2/libgit2/releases/tag/v0.28.4Release Notes, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/libgit2/libgit2/releases/tag/v0.99.0Release Notes, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/03/msg00031.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/02/msg00034.html
https://github.com/git/git/security/advisories/GHSA-5wph-8frv-58vjThird Party Advisory
https://github.com/libgit2/libgit2/commit/3f7851eadca36a99627ad78cbe56a40d3776ed01Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/libgit2/libgit2/commit/e1832eb20a7089f6383cfce474f213157f5300cbPatch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/libgit2/libgit2/releases/tag/v0.28.4Release Notes, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/libgit2/libgit2/releases/tag/v0.99.0Release Notes, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/03/msg00031.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/02/msg00034.html

Timeline

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-12278?

How severe is CVE-2020-12278?

CVE-2020-12278 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 5.11% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-12278?

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-2020-12278?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST