CVE-2020-36476

Name: CVE-2020-36476
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2021-08-23T02:15:06.987+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7.5/10EPSS 1.45%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-36476 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.5/10 on the CVSS scale. An issue was discovered in Mbed TLS before 2.24.0 (and before 2.16.8 LTS and before 2.7.17 LTS). There is missing zeroization of plaintext buffers in mbedtls_ssl_read to erase unused application data from memory.. EPSS estimates a 1.45% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

An issue was discovered in Mbed TLS before 2.24.0 (and before 2.16.8 LTS and before 2.7.17 LTS). There is missing zeroization of plaintext buffers in mbedtls_ssl_read to erase unused application data from memory.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

1.45%

70.0th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-212

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Arm	Mbed Tls	< 2.7.17
Arm	Mbed Tls	>= 2.8.0, < 2.16.8
Arm	Mbed Tls	>= 2.17.0, < 2.24.0
Debian	Debian Linux	9.0
Debian	Debian Linux	10.0

References

https://github.com/ARMmbed/mbedtls/releases/tag/v2.16.8Release Notes, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/ARMmbed/mbedtls/releases/tag/v2.24.0Release Notes, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/ARMmbed/mbedtls/releases/tag/v2.7.17Release Notes, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/11/msg00021.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/12/msg00036.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/ARMmbed/mbedtls/releases/tag/v2.16.8Release Notes, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/ARMmbed/mbedtls/releases/tag/v2.24.0Release Notes, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/ARMmbed/mbedtls/releases/tag/v2.7.17Release Notes, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/11/msg00021.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/12/msg00036.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Aug 23, 2021
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-36476?

How severe is CVE-2020-36476?

CVE-2020-36476 has a CVSS score of 7.5/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 1.45% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-36476?

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-2020-36476?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST