CVE-2020-14314

Name: CVE-2020-14314
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-09-15T20:15:13.213+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 5.5/10EPSS 0.36%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-14314 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.5/10 on the CVSS scale. A memory out-of-bounds read flaw was found in the Linux kernel before 5.9-rc2 with the ext3/ext4 file system, in the way it accesses a directory with broken indexing. This flaw allows a local user to crash the system if the directory exists. EPSS estimates a 0.36% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A memory out-of-bounds read flaw was found in the Linux kernel before 5.9-rc2 with the ext3/ext4 file system, in the way it accesses a directory with broken indexing. This flaw allows a local user to crash the system if the directory exists. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to system availability.

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

0.36%

27.5th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions	Update
Linux	Linux Kernel	<= 5.8.9	—
Linux	Linux Kernel	5.9.0	Rc1
Debian	Debian Linux	9.0	—
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	14.04	—
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	16.04	—
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	18.04	—
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	20.04	—
Starwindsoftware	Starwind Virtual San	v8	Build12533

References

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2020-14314Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=5872331b3d91820e14716632ebb56b1399b34fe1Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/09/msg00025.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/10/msg00032.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/10/msg00034.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lore.kernel.org/linux-ext4/f53e246b-647c-64bb-16ec-135383c70ad7%40redhat.com/T/#u
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4576-1/Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4578-1/Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4579-1/Third Party Advisory
https://www.starwindsoftware.com/security/sw-20210325-0003/Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2020-14314Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=5872331b3d91820e14716632ebb56b1399b34fe1Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/09/msg00025.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/10/msg00032.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/10/msg00034.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lore.kernel.org/linux-ext4/f53e246b-647c-64bb-16ec-135383c70ad7%40redhat.com/T/#u
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4576-1/Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4578-1/Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4579-1/Third Party Advisory
https://www.starwindsoftware.com/security/sw-20210325-0003/Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Sep 15, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-14314?

How severe is CVE-2020-14314?

CVE-2020-14314 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.36% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-14314?

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-2020-14314?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST