CVE-2020-7461

Name: CVE-2020-7461
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2021-03-26T21:15:13.053+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7.3/10EPSS 4.47%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-7461 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.3/10 on the CVSS scale. In FreeBSD 12.1-STABLE before r365010, 11.4-STABLE before r365011, 12.1-RELEASE before p9, 11.4-RELEASE before p3, and 11.3-RELEASE before p13, dhclient(8) fails to handle certain malformed input related to handling of DHCP option 119 resulting a heap overflow. The heap overflow could in principle be exploited to achieve remote code execution. EPSS estimates a 4.47% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

In FreeBSD 12.1-STABLE before r365010, 11.4-STABLE before r365011, 12.1-RELEASE before p9, 11.4-RELEASE before p3, and 11.3-RELEASE before p13, dhclient(8) fails to handle certain malformed input related to handling of DHCP option 119 resulting a heap overflow. The heap overflow could in principle be exploited to achieve remote code execution. The affected process runs with reduced privileges in a Capsicum sandbox, limiting the immediate impact of an exploit.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.3/10

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

EPSS Probability

4.47%

90.2th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-787

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Freebsd	Freebsd	11.3
Freebsd	Freebsd	11.4
Freebsd	Freebsd	12.1
Siemens	Simatic Rf350m Firmware	All versions
Siemens	Simatic Rf650m Firmware	All versions

References

https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-288459.pdfThird Party Advisory
https://security.FreeBSD.org/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-20:26.dhclient.ascVendor Advisory
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-288459.pdfThird Party Advisory
https://security.FreeBSD.org/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-20:26.dhclient.ascVendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Mar 26, 2021
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-7461?

How severe is CVE-2020-7461?

CVE-2020-7461 has a CVSS score of 7.3/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 4.47% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-7461?

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-2020-7461?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST