CVE-2020-25285

Name: CVE-2020-25285
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-09-13T18:15:09.99+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 6.4/10EPSS 0.27%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-25285 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.4/10 on the CVSS scale. A race condition between hugetlb sysctl handlers in mm/hugetlb.c in the Linux kernel before 5.8.8 could be used by local attackers to corrupt memory, cause a NULL pointer dereference, or possibly have unspecified other impact, aka CID-17743798d812.. EPSS estimates a 0.27% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A race condition between hugetlb sysctl handlers in mm/hugetlb.c in the Linux kernel before 5.8.8 could be used by local attackers to corrupt memory, cause a NULL pointer dereference, or possibly have unspecified other impact, aka CID-17743798d812.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.4/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.27%

18.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux Kernel	< 5.8.8
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

References

https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v5.x/ChangeLog-5.8.8Release Notes, Vendor Advisory
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=17743798d81238ab13050e8e2833699b54e15467Patch, 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://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20201009-0002/Third Party Advisory
https://twitter.com/grsecurity/status/1303749848898904067Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4576-1/Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4579-1/Third Party Advisory
https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v5.x/ChangeLog-5.8.8Release Notes, Vendor Advisory
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=17743798d81238ab13050e8e2833699b54e15467Patch, 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://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20201009-0002/Third Party Advisory
https://twitter.com/grsecurity/status/1303749848898904067Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4576-1/Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4579-1/Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Sep 13, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-25285?

How severe is CVE-2020-25285?

CVE-2020-25285 has a CVSS score of 6.4/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.27% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-25285?

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-2020-25285?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST