CVE-2020-28638

Name: CVE-2020-28638
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-11-13T21:15:12.817+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

CRITICALCVSS 9.8/10EPSS 0.70%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-28638 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 9.8/10 on the CVSS scale. ask_password in Tomb 2.0 through 2.7 returns a warning when pinentry-curses is used and $DISPLAY is non-empty, causing affected users' files to be encrypted with "tomb {W] Detected DISPLAY, but only pinentry-curses is found." as the encryption key.. EPSS estimates a 0.70% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

ask_password in Tomb 2.0 through 2.7 returns a warning when pinentry-curses is used and $DISPLAY is non-empty, causing affected users' files to be encrypted with "tomb {W] Detected DISPLAY, but only pinentry-curses is found." as the encryption key.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

9.8/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.70%

48.6th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-287

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Dyne	Tomb	>= 2.0, <= 2.7

References

https://github.com/dyne/Tomb/issues/385Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/dyne/Tomb/issues/385Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-28638?

How severe is CVE-2020-28638?

CVE-2020-28638 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.70% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-28638?

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-2020-28638?

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

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Source: NVD / NIST