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TI-2020-12679 Aliases CVE-2020-16120GHSA-q6jw-34cj-733v

Unprivileged overlay + shiftfs read access

Priority LOW 23CWE-266Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Local
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
High
Impact type
Privilege escalation
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · None · None
Fix status
Partial Red Hat: 1 without a fix

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-266.

Summary

Overlayfs did not properly perform permission checking when copying up files in an overlayfs and could be exploited from within a user namespace, if, for example, unprivileged user namespaces were allowed. It was possible to have a file not readable by an unprivileged user to be copied to a mountpoint controlled by the user, like a removable device. This was introduced in kernel version 4.19 by commit d1d04ef ("ovl: stack file ops"). This was fixed in kernel version 5.8 by commits 56230d9 ("ovl: verify permissions in ovl_path_open()"), 48bd024 ("ovl: switch to mounter creds in readdir") and 05acefb ("ovl: check permission to open real file"). Additionally, commits 130fdbc ("ovl: pass correct flags for opening real directory") and 292f902 ("ovl: call secutiry hook in ovl_real_ioctl()") in kernel 5.8 might also be desired or necessary. These additional commits introduced a regression in overlay mounts within user namespaces which prevented access to files with ownership outside of the user namespace. This regression was mitigated by subsequent commit b6650da ("ovl: do not fail because of O_NOATIMEi") in kernel 5.11.

Why it matters now

EPSS 0.00417 36th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Linux kernel (Linux kernel): 5.11.0Red Hat: 1 without a fix

SSVC decision points

Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
LinuxLinux kernel5.11-stable to before 5.11.05.11.0Patch availableCNA
  • Linux kernel VendorLinux Affected 5.11-stable to before 5.11.0 Fixed in 5.11.0 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 5

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*before 5.11VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:*14.04VulnerableCanonical
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*16.04VulnerableCanonical
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*18.04VulnerableCanonical
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:20.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*20.04VulnerableCanonical
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 5.11 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:* Versions 14.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
  • cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* Versions 16.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
  • cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* Versions 18.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
  • cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:20.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* Versions 20.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA Linux kernel (Linux kernel) Fixed in 5.11.0

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2AffectedNo fix planned: Will not fix
Not affected: 4 products
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2020-16120
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-q6jw-34cj-733v

References

  • TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
  • TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
  • TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
See all 15278 →

Sources