PatchTheCVECVE-2020-10595: pam-krb5 before 4.9 has a buffer overflow that might cause remote code execution in situations involving suppl
CVE-2020-10595 is a critical-severity flaw (CVSS 9.8) affecting pam-krb5, debian linux. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.
pam-krb5 before 4.9 has a buffer overflow that might cause remote code execution in situations involving supplemental prompting by a Kerberos library. It may overflow a buffer provided by the underlying Kerberos library by a single '\0' byte if an attacker responds to a prompt with an answer of a carefully chosen length. The effect may range from heap corruption to stack corruption depending on the structure of the underlying Kerberos library, wi
Why this priority
- Critical severity
- EPSS top 8%: very likely to be exploited
- Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action
- On your watchlist
A fixed release or distro patch exists.
Risk facts
| CVSS score | 9.8 (Critical) |
| Attack vector | Network (remote) |
| Attack complexity | Low |
| Privileges needed | None |
| User interaction | None |
| EPSS exploit chance | 4.8% (top 8%) |
| CISA exploited list | No |
| Weakness | CWE-120 |
| Published | 2020-03-31 |
| Last modified | 2026-06-17 |
Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score
Am I affected?
Timeline
- Published CVE record published
- Updated Record last modified
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.
Quick answers
How do I fix CVE-2020-10595?
pam-krb5: upgrade to 4.9; debian linux: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.
Is CVE-2020-10595 being exploited?
CVE-2020-10595 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.
What does CVE-2020-10595 affect?
CVE-2020-10595 affects pam-krb5, debian linux. Severity is critical (CVSS 9.8). pam-krb5 before 4.9 has a buffer overflow that might cause remote code execution in situations involving supplemental prompting by a Kerberos library. It may overflow a buffer provided by the underlying Kerberos library by a single '\0' byt
How urgent is CVE-2020-10595?
Priority 67/100. Critical severity; EPSS top 8%: very likely to be exploited; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action; On your watchlist