HIGH
CVE-2020-8648
CWE-416Published: February 6, 2020· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
7.1
CVSS v3.1
Official Description
There is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel through 5.5.2 in the n_tty_receive_buf_common function in drivers/tty/n_tty.c.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2020-8648 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 complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.1.
From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-416): Use-after-free vulnerabilities involve accessing memory after it has been freed, often enabling arbitrary code execution.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
Affected Vendors & Products
broadcom1 product(s)
brocade fabric operating system firmware
Canonical1 product(s)
ubuntu linux
Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
Linux1 product(s)
linux kernel
netapp4 product(s)
active iq unified managercloud backuphci baseboard management controllersolidfire baseboard management controller
openSUSE1 product(s)
leap
Source: NVD CPE · 11 total CPE entries
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
ADVISORYhttps://usn.ubuntu.com/4342-1/
ADVISORYhttps://usn.ubuntu.com/4344-1/
ADVISORYhttps://usn.ubuntu.com/4345-1/
ADVISORYhttps://usn.ubuntu.com/4346-1/
ADVISORYhttps://usn.ubuntu.com/4342-1/
ADVISORYhttps://usn.ubuntu.com/4344-1/
ADVISORYhttps://usn.ubuntu.com/4345-1/
ADVISORYhttps://usn.ubuntu.com/4346-1/
All References (22)
→
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-03/msg00021.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=206361Exploit · Issue Tracking · Vendor Advisory
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/06/msg00011.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/06/msg00012.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/06/msg00013.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20200924-0004/Third Party Advisory
→
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4342-1/Third Party Advisory
→
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4344-1/Third Party Advisory
→
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4345-1/Third Party Advisory
→
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4346-1/Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4698Third Party Advisory
→
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-03/msg00021.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=206361Exploit · Issue Tracking · Vendor Advisory
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/06/msg00011.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/06/msg00012.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
Quick Facts
CVE IDCVE-2020-8648
CVSS Score7.1 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-416
CISA KEVNo
Affected6 vendor(s)
PublishedFeb 6, 2020
Related CVEs (CWE-416)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2020-8648 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.