TI-2020-12686 Aliases CVE-2020-16127 GHSA-vg2p-x98m-7mxr

accountsservice .pam_environment infinite loop

LOW 25CWE-20Published 2020-11-11 · Updated 2024-09-16

Key facts

Attack vector: Local
Privileges required: Low
User interaction: None
Attack complexity: Low
Impact type: Denial of service
Confidentiality · integrity · availability: None · None · High
Fix status: Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-835.

Summary

An Ubuntu-specific modification to AccountsService in versions before 0.6.55-0ubuntu13.2, among other earlier versions, would perform unbounded read operations on user-controlled ~/.pam_environment files, allowing an infinite loop if /dev/zero is symlinked to this location.

Why it matters now

EPSS 0.00414 35th 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 · 2020-11-11
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-2020-12685 accountsservice drops ruid, allows unprivileged users to send it signalsPriority LOW 17
Show all 2 records →

Timeline

2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2020-16127
2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-vg2p-x98m-7mxr

References

Exploit 1

https://securitylab.github.com/advisories/GHSL-2020-187-accountsservice-drop-privs-DOS

TI-2018-10143 Directory Traversal with ../ sequences occurs in AccountsService before 0.6.50 because of… CVSS 3.0MEDIUM 6.5
TI-2020-12685 accountsservice drops ruid, allows unprivileged users to send it signals CVSS 3.1LOW 3.3

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences