CVE-2020-1712

Name: CVE-2020-1712
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-03-31T17:15:26.577+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7.8/10EPSS 0.46%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-1712 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.8/10 on the CVSS scale. A heap use-after-free vulnerability was found in systemd before version v245-rc1, where asynchronous Polkit queries are performed while handling dbus messages. A local unprivileged attacker can abuse this flaw to crash systemd services or potentially execute code and elevate their privileges, by sending specially crafted dbus messages.. EPSS estimates a 0.46% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A heap use-after-free vulnerability was found in systemd before version v245-rc1, where asynchronous Polkit queries are performed while handling dbus messages. A local unprivileged attacker can abuse this flaw to crash systemd services or potentially execute code and elevate their privileges, by sending specially crafted dbus messages.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.8/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.46%

36.5th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Systemd Project	Systemd	<= 244
Redhat	Ceph Storage	4.0
Redhat	Discovery	All versions
Redhat	Migration Toolkit	1.0
Redhat	Openshift Container Platform	4.0
Redhat	Enterprise Linux	8.0
Debian	Debian Linux	9.0

References

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2020-1712Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/systemd/systemd/commit/1068447e6954dc6ce52f099ed174c442cb89ed54Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/systemd/systemd/commit/637486261528e8aa3da9f26a4487dc254f4b7abbPatch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/systemd/systemd/commit/bc130b6858327b382b07b3985cf48e2aa9016b2dPatch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/systemd/systemd/commit/ea0d0ede03c6f18dbc5036c5e9cccf97e415ccc2Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/06/msg00025.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/02/05/1Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2020-1712Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/systemd/systemd/commit/1068447e6954dc6ce52f099ed174c442cb89ed54Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/systemd/systemd/commit/637486261528e8aa3da9f26a4487dc254f4b7abbPatch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/systemd/systemd/commit/bc130b6858327b382b07b3985cf48e2aa9016b2dPatch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/systemd/systemd/commit/ea0d0ede03c6f18dbc5036c5e9cccf97e415ccc2Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/06/msg00025.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/02/05/1Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Mar 31, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-1712?

How severe is CVE-2020-1712?

CVE-2020-1712 has a CVSS score of 7.8/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.46% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-1712?

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-2020-1712?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST