CVE-2020-17380
CWE-787Published: January 30, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
Official Description
A heap-based buffer overflow was found in QEMU through 5.0.0 in the SDHCI device emulation support. It could occur while doing a multi block SDMA transfer via the sdhci_sdma_transfer_multi_blocks() routine in hw/sd/sdhci.c. A guest user or process could use this flaw to crash the QEMU process on the host, resulting in a denial of service condition, or potentially execute arbitrary code with privileges of the QEMU process on the host.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2020-17380 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.
Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
The vulnerability has a "Changed" scope, meaning successful exploitation can impact components beyond the vulnerable component itself — such as the host operating system or adjacent services.
From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-787): Out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities can lead to data corruption, crashes, or arbitrary code execution.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (10)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (CWE-787)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2020-17380 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts