CVE-2020-16599

Name: CVE-2020-16599
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-12-09T21:15:15.35+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 5.5/10EPSS 1.04%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-16599 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.5/10 on the CVSS scale. A Null Pointer Dereference vulnerability exists in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.35, in _bfd_elf_get_symbol_version_string, as demonstrated in nm-new, that can cause a denial of service via a crafted file.. EPSS estimates a 1.04% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A Null Pointer Dereference vulnerability exists in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.35, in _bfd_elf_get_symbol_version_string, as demonstrated in nm-new, that can cause a denial of service via a crafted file.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

1.04%

59.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-476

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Gnu	Binutils	2.35
Netapp	Cloud Backup	All versions
Netapp	Hci Management Node	All versions
Netapp	Ontap Select Deploy Administration Utility	All versions
Netapp	Solidfire	All versions

References

https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210122-0003/Third Party Advisory
https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=25842Exploit, Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=binutils-gdb.git%3Bh=8d55d10ac0d112c586eaceb92e75bd9b80aadcc4
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210122-0003/Third Party Advisory
https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=25842Exploit, Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=binutils-gdb.git%3Bh=8d55d10ac0d112c586eaceb92e75bd9b80aadcc4

Timeline

Published: Dec 9, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-16599?

How severe is CVE-2020-16599?

CVE-2020-16599 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 1.04% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-16599?

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-2020-16599?

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

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Source: NVD / NIST