CVE-2020-12689

Name: CVE-2020-12689
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-05-07T00:15:10.877+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 8.8/10EPSS 1.56%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-12689 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 8.8/10 on the CVSS scale. An issue was discovered in OpenStack Keystone before 15.0.1, and 16.0.0. Any user authenticated within a limited scope (trust/oauth/application credential) can create an EC2 credential with an escalated permission, such as obtaining admin while the user is on a limited viewer role. EPSS estimates a 1.56% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

An issue was discovered in OpenStack Keystone before 15.0.1, and 16.0.0. Any user authenticated within a limited scope (trust/oauth/application credential) can create an EC2 credential with an escalated permission, such as obtaining admin while the user is on a limited viewer role. This potentially allows a malicious user to act as the admin on a project another user has the admin role on, which can effectively grant that user global admin privileges.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

8.8/10

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

EPSS Probability

1.56%

72.1th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-269

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Openstack	Keystone	< 15.0.1
Openstack	Keystone	16.0.0
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	18.04

References

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/05/07/2Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://bugs.launchpad.net/keystone/+bug/1872735Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/re4ffc55cd2f1b55a26e07c83b3c22c3fe4bae6054d000a57fb48d8c2%40%3Ccommits.druid.apache.org%3E
https://security.openstack.org/ossa/OSSA-2020-004.htmlVendor Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4480-1/Third Party Advisory
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/05/06/5Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/05/07/2Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://bugs.launchpad.net/keystone/+bug/1872735Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/re4ffc55cd2f1b55a26e07c83b3c22c3fe4bae6054d000a57fb48d8c2%40%3Ccommits.druid.apache.org%3E
https://security.openstack.org/ossa/OSSA-2020-004.htmlVendor Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4480-1/Third Party Advisory
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/05/06/5Mailing List, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: May 7, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-12689?

How severe is CVE-2020-12689?

CVE-2020-12689 has a CVSS score of 8.8/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 1.56% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-12689?

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-2020-12689?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST