CVE-2020-14871

Name: CVE-2020-14871
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-10-21T15:15:24.593+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

CRITICALCVSS 10/10Actively ExploitedEPSS 80.29%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-14871 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 10/10 on the CVSS scale. Vulnerability in the Oracle Solaris product of Oracle Systems (component: Pluggable authentication module). Supported versions that are affected are 10 and 11. CISA has confirmed active exploitation in the wild. EPSS estimates a 80.29% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

Vulnerability in the Oracle Solaris product of Oracle Systems (component: Pluggable authentication module). Supported versions that are affected are 10 and 11. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via multiple protocols to compromise Oracle Solaris. While the vulnerability is in Oracle Solaris, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of Oracle Solaris. Note: This CVE is not exploitable for Solaris 11.1 and later releases, and ZFSSA 8.7 and later releases, thus the CVSS Base Score is 0.0. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 10.0 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

10/10

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

EPSS Probability

80.29%

99.6th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Exploitation Status

This vulnerability is listed in CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, confirming active exploitation in the wild. Federal agencies must remediate by May 3, 2022.

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Oracle	Solaris	>= 10, < 11.1
Oracle	Solaris	9

References

http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/159961/SunSSH-Solaris-10-x86-Remote-Root.htmlThird Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/160510/Solaris-SunSSH-11.0-x86-libpam-Remote-Root.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/160609/Oracle-Solaris-SunSSH-PAM-parse_user_name-Buffer-Overflow.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/163232/Solaris-SunSSH-11.0-Remote-Root.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/03/03/1Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/07/03/3Mailing List, Patch
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2020.htmlVendor Advisory
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/159961/SunSSH-Solaris-10-x86-Remote-Root.htmlThird Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/160510/Solaris-SunSSH-11.0-x86-libpam-Remote-Root.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/160609/Oracle-Solaris-SunSSH-PAM-parse_user_name-Buffer-Overflow.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/163232/Solaris-SunSSH-11.0-Remote-Root.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/03/03/1Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/07/03/3Mailing List, Patch
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2020.htmlVendor Advisory
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-14871US Government Resource

Timeline

Published: Oct 21, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-14871?

How severe is CVE-2020-14871?

CVE-2020-14871 has a CVSS score of 10/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 80.29% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. This vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

How do I fix CVE-2020-14871?

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-2020-14871?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST