CVE-2020-8994

Name: CVE-2020-8994
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-03-05T16:15:12.143+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 6.8/10EPSS 0.56%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-8994 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.8/10 on the CVSS scale. An issue was discovered on XIAOMI AI speaker MDZ-25-DT 1.34.36, and 1.40.14. Attackers can get root shell by accessing the UART interface and then they can read Wi-Fi SSID or password, read the dialogue text files between users and XIAOMI AI speaker, use Text-To-Speech tools pretend XIAOMI speakers' voice achieve social engineering attacks, eavesdrop on users and record what XIAOMI AI speaker hears, delete the entire XIAOMI AI speaker system, modify system files, stop voice assistant service, start the XIAOMI AI speaker’s SSH service as a backdoor. EPSS estimates a 0.56% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

An issue was discovered on XIAOMI AI speaker MDZ-25-DT 1.34.36, and 1.40.14. Attackers can get root shell by accessing the UART interface and then they can read Wi-Fi SSID or password, read the dialogue text files between users and XIAOMI AI speaker, use Text-To-Speech tools pretend XIAOMI speakers' voice achieve social engineering attacks, eavesdrop on users and record what XIAOMI AI speaker hears, delete the entire XIAOMI AI speaker system, modify system files, stop voice assistant service, start the XIAOMI AI speaker’s SSH service as a backdoor

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.8/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.56%

42.2th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-287

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Mi	Mdz-25-Dt Firmware	1.34.36
Mi	Mdz-25-Dt Firmware	1.40.14

References

https://github.com/Jian-Xian/CVE-POC/blob/master/CVE-2020-8994.mdExploit, Third Party Advisory
https://www.usenix.org/sites/default/files/soups2018posters-lau.pdfTechnical Description, Third Party Advisory
https://youtu.be/yCadG38yZW8Exploit, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/Jian-Xian/CVE-POC/blob/master/CVE-2020-8994.mdExploit, Third Party Advisory
https://www.usenix.org/sites/default/files/soups2018posters-lau.pdfTechnical Description, Third Party Advisory
https://youtu.be/yCadG38yZW8Exploit, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Mar 5, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-8994?

How severe is CVE-2020-8994?

CVE-2020-8994 has a CVSS score of 6.8/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.56% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-8994?

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-2020-8994?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST