CVE-2020-28974

Name: CVE-2020-28974
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-11-20T18:15:12.12+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 5/10EPSS 0.51%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-28974 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5/10 on the CVSS scale. A slab-out-of-bounds read in fbcon in the Linux kernel before 5.9.7 could be used by local attackers to read privileged information or potentially crash the kernel, aka CID-3c4e0dff2095. This occurs because KD_FONT_OP_COPY in drivers/tty/vt/vt.c can be used for manipulations such as font height.. EPSS estimates a 0.51% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A slab-out-of-bounds read in fbcon in the Linux kernel before 5.9.7 could be used by local attackers to read privileged information or potentially crash the kernel, aka CID-3c4e0dff2095. This occurs because KD_FONT_OP_COPY in drivers/tty/vt/vt.c can be used for manipulations such as font height.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.51%

39.6th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-125

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux Kernel	< 5.9.7
Debian	Debian Linux	9.0

References

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/11/25/1Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v5.x/ChangeLog-5.9.7Release Notes, Vendor Advisory
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=3c4e0dff2095c579b142d5a0693257f1c58b4804Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/12/msg00015.htmlThird Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/12/msg00027.htmlThird Party Advisory
https://seclists.org/oss-sec/2020/q4/104Exploit, Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210108-0003/Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/11/25/1Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v5.x/ChangeLog-5.9.7Release Notes, Vendor Advisory
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=3c4e0dff2095c579b142d5a0693257f1c58b4804Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/12/msg00015.htmlThird Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/12/msg00027.htmlThird Party Advisory
https://seclists.org/oss-sec/2020/q4/104Exploit, Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210108-0003/Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Nov 20, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-28974?

How severe is CVE-2020-28974?

CVE-2020-28974 has a CVSS score of 5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.51% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-28974?

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-2020-28974?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST