accountsservice drops ruid, allows unprivileged users to send it signals
Priority LOW 17CWE-269Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Privilege escalation
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · Low
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-269.
Summary
An Ubuntu-specific modification to AccountsService in versions before 0.6.55-0ubuntu13.2, among other earlier versions, improperly dropped the ruid, allowing untrusted users to send signals to AccountService, thus stopping it from handling D-Bus messages in a timely fashion.
Why it matters now
EPSS 0.00541 45th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Public exploit Yes 1 exploit referenceTagged by NVD
Fix Fixed accountsservice (Freedesktop): 0.6.35-0ubuntu7.3+esm2, 0.6.40-2ubuntu11.6, 0.6.45-1ubuntu1.3 +2
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedesktop | accountsservice | 0.6.35-0ubuntu7.3 to before 0.6.35-0ubuntu7.3+esm2; 0.6.40-2ubuntu11 to before 0.6.40-2ubuntu11.6; 0.6.45-1ubuntu1 to before 0.6.45-1ubuntu1.3; 0.6.55-0ubuntu to before 0.6.55-0ubuntu12~20.04.4; 0.6.55-0ubuntu13 to before 0.6.55-0ubuntu13.2 | 0.6.35-0ubuntu7.3+esm2, 0.6.40-2ubuntu11.6, 0.6.45-1ubuntu1.3, 0.6.55-0ubuntu12~20.04.4, 0.6.55-0ubuntu13.2 | Patch available | CNA |
- accountsservice VendorFreedesktop Affected 0.6.35-0ubuntu7.3 to before 0.6.35-0ubuntu7.3+esm2; 0.6.40-2ubuntu11 to before 0.6.40-2ubuntu11.6; 0.6.45-1ubuntu1 to before 0.6.45-1ubuntu1.3; 0.6.55-0ubuntu to before 0.6.55-0ubuntu12~20.04.4; 0.6.55-0ubuntu13 to before 0.6.55-0ubuntu13.2 Fixed in 0.6.35-0ubuntu7.3+esm2, 0.6.40-2ubuntu11.6, 0.6.45-1ubuntu1.3, 0.6.55-0ubuntu12~20.04.4, 0.6.55-0ubuntu13.2 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 1
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:freedesktop:accountsservice:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | before 0.6.55 | Vulnerable | Freedesktop |
- cpe:2.3:a:freedesktop:accountsservice:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 0.6.55 Vulnerable ·Freedesktop
Remediation
- Fix · CNA accountsservice (Freedesktop) Fixed in 0.6.35-0ubuntu7.3+esm2, 0.6.40-2ubuntu11.6, 0.6.45-1ubuntu1.3, 0.6.55-0ubuntu12~20.04.4, 0.6.55-0ubuntu13.2
Fixed in the same release
Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.
- Release ·
Freedesktop accountsservice 0.6.35-0ubuntu7.3+esm2, 0.6.40-2ubuntu11.6 and 3 more versions
2 records Highest priority Priority LOW 2 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2020-12686 accountsservice .pam_environment infinite loopPriority LOW 25
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2020-16126
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-37qh-6xc5-7fm4
References
More Freedesktop Accountsservice vulnerabilities
- TI-2018-10143 Directory Traversal with ../ sequences occurs in AccountsService before 0.6.50 because of… CVSS 3.0MEDIUM 6.5
- TI-2020-12686 accountsservice .pam_environment infinite loop CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.5
Sources
- CVE-2020-16126 · CVE Program
- CVE-2020-16126 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-37qh-6xc5-7fm4 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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