CVE-2020-36311

Name: CVE-2020-36311
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2021-04-07T00:15:13.15+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 5.5/10EPSS 0.34%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-36311 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.5/10 on the CVSS scale. An issue was discovered in the Linux kernel before 5.9. arch/x86/kvm/svm/sev.c allows attackers to cause a denial of service (soft lockup) by triggering destruction of a large SEV VM (which requires unregistering many encrypted regions), aka CID-7be74942f184.. EPSS estimates a 0.34% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

An issue was discovered in the Linux kernel before 5.9. arch/x86/kvm/svm/sev.c allows attackers to cause a denial of service (soft lockup) by triggering destruction of a large SEV VM (which requires unregistering many encrypted regions), aka CID-7be74942f184.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.34%

25.3th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux Kernel	< 5.9.0
Debian	Debian Linux	9.0
Debian	Debian Linux	10.0

References

https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v5.x/ChangeLog-5.9Release Notes, Vendor Advisory
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=7be74942f184fdfba34ddd19a0d995deb34d4a03Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/07/msg00015.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4941Third Party Advisory
https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v5.x/ChangeLog-5.9Release Notes, Vendor Advisory
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=7be74942f184fdfba34ddd19a0d995deb34d4a03Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/07/msg00015.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4941Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Apr 7, 2021
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-36311?

How severe is CVE-2020-36311?

CVE-2020-36311 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.34% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-36311?

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-2020-36311?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST