MEDIUM
CVE-2020-28928
CWE-787Published: November 24, 2020· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
5.5
CVSS v3.1
Official Description
In musl libc through 1.2.1, wcsnrtombs mishandles particular combinations of destination buffer size and source character limit, as demonstrated by an invalid write access (buffer overflow).
Technical Analysis
CVE-2020-28928 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.
A successful exploit results in availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 5.5.
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
Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (20)
→
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/11/20/4Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/11/msg00050.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://musl.libc.org/releases.htmlRelease Notes · Vendor Advisory
→
https://www.oracle.com//security-alerts/cpujul2021.htmlPatch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.htmlPatch · Third Party Advisory
→
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/11/20/4Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/11/msg00050.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
Quick Facts
CVE IDCVE-2020-28928
CVSS Score5.5 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessCWE-787
CISA KEVNo
Affected4 vendor(s)
PublishedNov 24, 2020
Related CVEs (CWE-787)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2020-28928 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWatch. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.