CVE-2020-24977

Exp

GNOME project libxml2 v2.9.10 has a global buffer over-read vulnerability in xmlEncodeEntitiesInternal at libxml2/entities.c. The issue has been fixed in commit 50f06b3e.

Published: 2020-09-04 Last update: 2024-11-21 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]

Conclusion & alert: CVE-2020-24977 is rated High Exploit Risk (66.3/100): CVSS Medium severity, with medium exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.70%). Core evidence: 1 public exploit reference(s) are indexed (Exploit-DB). Mandatory action: Public exploits are available—assess exposure, apply mitigations, and prioritize patching.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Public exploit references (Exploit-DB) for CVE-2020-24977

EDB-ID Source Kind Published Link
nvd_ref exploit_tag Exploit-DB ↗

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2020-24977

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-05-13 0.59% 0.70% +0.11%
2 2026-05-11 0.52% 0.59% +0.07%
3 2026-03-25 0.52%

Full EPSS history (21 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2020-24977

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
6.5 3.1 MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:L Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:L)
Some sensitive info could get out, but not a total data dump.
Integrity (I:N)
Data isn’t meaningfully altered or forged.
Availability (A:L)
Might cause slowdowns, glitches, or partial disruption—not a full brick.
3.9 2.5 [email protected]
6.4 2.0 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:P Click to expand
Access vector (AV:N)
Can be exploited remotely over network reachability.
Access complexity (AC:L)
Exploitation conditions are straightforward and predictable.
Authentication (AU:N)
No authentication is required.
Confidentiality impact (C:P)
Partial confidentiality impact.
Integrity impact (I:N)
No integrity impact.
Availability impact (A:P)
Partial availability impact.
10.0 4.9 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2020-24977

OS Trackers for CVE-2020-24977

vendor priority summary link
alpine medium CVE-2020-24977: 2 source package rows (libxml2, libxml2.13); 19 state rows across 10 repos (3.10-main, 3.11-main, 3.12-main, 3.17-main, 3.18-main, 3.19-main, 3.20-main, 3.21-main, 3.22-main, edge-main); fixed 14, open 5. https://security.alpinelinux.org/vuln/CVE-2020-24977
debian unimportant CVE-2020-24977 unimportant priority: Debian including 1 source packages (libxml2), 5 status rows across 5 suites (bookworm, bullseye, forky, sid, trixie): resolved 5. https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2020-24977
gentoo low CVE-2020-24977: 1 GLSA(s) (202107-05), 1 atom(s) (dev-libs/libxml2); latest impact low. https://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?quicksearch=CVE-2020-24977
redhat medium https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2020-24977
suse medium CVE-2020-24977 severity moderate: SUSE including 441 source package names (0.1.0:libxml2-2-2.9.7-3.25.1, 0.1.75:libxml2-2-2.9.7-3.25.1, …), 620 product×package rows across 210 product lines (Container bci/bci-init, Container bci/dotnet-aspnet, … (210 product lines)): Fixed 446, Known Affected 157, Known Not Affected 17. https://www.suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2020-24977/
ubuntu low CVE-2020-24977 low priority: Ubuntu including 1 source packages (libxml2), 9 status rows across 9 suites (bionic, focal, groovy, hirsute, impish, jammy, trusty, upstream, xenial): released 6, not-affected 3. https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2020-24977

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2020-24977

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
xmlsoft libxml2 2.9.10 cpe:2.3:a:xmlsoft:libxml2:2.9.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
debian debian_linux 9.0 cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fedoraproject fedora 31 cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:31:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fedoraproject fedora 32 cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:32:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fedoraproject fedora 33 cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:33:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
opensuse leap 15.1 cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:15.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
opensuse leap 15.2 cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:15.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
netapp active_iq_unified_manager >= 7.3 cpe:2.3:a:netapp:active_iq_unified_manager:*:*:*:*:*:windows:*:*
netapp active_iq_unified_manager >= 9.5 cpe:2.3:a:netapp:active_iq_unified_manager:*:*:*:*:*:vmware_vsphere:*:*
netapp clustered_data_ontap cpe:2.3:a:netapp:clustered_data_ontap:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
netapp clustered_data_ontap_antivirus_connector cpe:2.3:a:netapp:clustered_data_ontap_antivirus_connector:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
netapp inventory_collect_tool cpe:2.3:a:netapp:inventory_collect_tool:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
netapp manageability_software_development_kit cpe:2.3:a:netapp:manageability_software_development_kit:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
netapp snapdrive cpe:2.3:a:netapp:snapdrive:-:*:*:*:*:unix:*:*
netapp snapdrive cpe:2.3:a:netapp:snapdrive:-:*:*:*:*:windows:*:*
netapp hci_h410c_firmware cpe:2.3:o:netapp:hci_h410c_firmware:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
oracle communications_cloud_native_core_network_function_cloud_native_environment 1.10.0 cpe:2.3:a:oracle:communications_cloud_native_core_network_function_cloud_native_environment:1.10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
oracle enterprise_manager_base_platform 13.4.0.0 cpe:2.3:a:oracle:enterprise_manager_base_platform:13.4.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
oracle enterprise_manager_base_platform 13.5.0.0 cpe:2.3:a:oracle:enterprise_manager_base_platform:13.5.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
oracle enterprise_manager_ops_center 12.4.0.0 cpe:2.3:a:oracle:enterprise_manager_ops_center:12.4.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
oracle http_server 12.2.1.3.0 cpe:2.3:a:oracle:http_server:12.2.1.3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
oracle http_server 12.2.1.4.0 cpe:2.3:a:oracle:http_server:12.2.1.4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
oracle mysql_workbench <= 8.0.26 cpe:2.3:a:oracle:mysql_workbench:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
oracle peoplesoft_enterprise_peopletools 8.58 cpe:2.3:a:oracle:peoplesoft_enterprise_peopletools:8.58:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
oracle real_user_experience_insight 13.4.1.0 cpe:2.3:a:oracle:real_user_experience_insight:13.4.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
oracle real_user_experience_insight 13.5.1.0 cpe:2.3:a:oracle:real_user_experience_insight:13.5.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2020-24977

URL Tags
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-09/msg00036.html Mailing List Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-09/msg00061.html Mailing List Third Party Advisory
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libxml2/-/commit/50f06b3efb638efb0abd95dc62dca05ae67882c2 Patch Vendor Advisory
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libxml2/-/issues/178 Exploit Issue Tracking Patch Vendor Advisory
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rf9fa47ab66495c78bb4120b0754dd9531ca2ff0430f6685ac9b07772%40%3Cdev.mina.apache.org%3E
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/09/msg00009.html Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/2NQ5GTDYOVH26PBCPYXXMGW5ZZXWMGZC/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/5KTUAGDLEHTH6HU66HBFAFTSQ3OKRAN3/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/674LQPJO2P2XTBTREFR5LOZMBTZ4PZAY/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/7KQXOHIE3MNY3VQXEN7LDQUJNIHOVHAW/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/ENEHQIBMSI6TZVS35Y6I4FCTYUQDLJVP/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/H3IQ7OQXBKWD3YP7HO6KCNOMLE5ZO2IR/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/J3ICASXZI2UQYFJAOQWHSTNWGED3VXOE/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/JCHXIWR5DHYO3RSO7RAHEC6VJKXD2EH2/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/O7MEWYKIKMV2SKMGH4IDWVU3ZGJXBCPQ/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/RIQAMBA2IJUTQG5VOP5LZVIZRNCKXHEQ/
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202107-05 Third Party Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20200924-0001/ Third Party Advisory
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html Patch Third Party Advisory
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.html
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html Patch Third Party Advisory
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