HIGH
CVE-2020-36230
CWE-617Published: January 26, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
7.5
CVSS v3.1
Official Description
A flaw was discovered in OpenLDAP before 2.4.57 leading in an assertion failure in slapd in the X.509 DN parsing in decode.c ber_next_element, resulting in denial of service.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2020-36230 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.
The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.
A successful exploit results in availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.5.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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 (28)
→
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2021/May/64Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2021/May/65Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2021/May/70Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://bugs.openldap.org/show_bug.cgi?id=9423Issue Tracking · Vendor Advisory
→
https://git.openldap.org/openldap/openldap/-/commit/8c1d96ee36ed98b32cd0e28b7069c7b8ea09d793Patch · Vendor Advisory
→
https://git.openldap.org/openldap/openldap/-/tags/OPENLDAP_REL_ENG_2_4_57Release Notes · Vendor Advisory
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/02/msg00005.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210226-0002/Third Party Advisory
→
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT212529Third Party Advisory
→
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT212530Third Party Advisory
→
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT212531Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4845Third Party Advisory
→
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2021/May/64Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
Quick Facts
CVE IDCVE-2020-36230
CVSS Score7.5 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-617
CISA KEVNo
Affected4 vendor(s)
PublishedJan 26, 2021
Related CVEs (CWE-617)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2020-36230 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.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.