CVE-2020-11937: In whoopsie, parse_report() from whoopsie.c allows a local attacker to cause a denial of service via a crafted

Routine

MEDIUM 5.5DOWNGRADE

CVE-2020-11937 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.5) affecting whoopsie. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

In whoopsie, parse_report() from whoopsie.c allows a local attacker to cause a denial of service via a crafted file. The DoS is caused by resource exhaustion due to a memory leak. Fixed in 0.2.52.5ubuntu0.5, 0.2.62ubuntu0.5 and 0.2.69ubuntu0.1.

Why this priority

Public exploit reference

No fix is published yet: follow the downgrade or mitigation steps.

Risk facts

CVSS score	5.5 (Medium)
Attack vector	Local
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	Low
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	0.5% (top 59%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-400, CWE-401
Published	2020-08-06
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): Canonical Ltd. · Vendor: canonical

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2020-08-06 23:15 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 02:51 UTCUpdated Record last modified

canonical whoopsie DOWNGRADE

Affected: 0.2.66 · 0.2.67 · 0.2.68 · 0.2.69 · 0.2.49 · 0.2.50 · 0.2.51 · 0.2.52

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 0.2.49

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy whoopsie || rpm -q whoopsie || whoopsie --version

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 0.2.49 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison whoopsie sudo apt install whoopsie=<VERSION_BEFORE_0.2.49> sudo apt-mark hold whoopsie

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list whoopsie sudo dnf downgrade whoopsie-<VERSION_BEFORE_0.2.49> sudo dnf versionlock add whoopsie

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
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-2020-11937?

whoopsie: downgrade or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2020-11937 being exploited?

CVE-2020-11937 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-2020-11937 affect?

CVE-2020-11937 affects whoopsie. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.5). In whoopsie, parse_report() from whoopsie.c allows a local attacker to cause a denial of service via a crafted file. The DoS is caused by resource exhaustion due to a memory leak. Fixed in 0.2.52.5ubuntu0.5, 0.2.62ubuntu0.5 and 0.2.69ubuntu

How urgent is CVE-2020-11937?

Priority 34/100. Public exploit reference

Related CVEs

CVE-2020-15570 MEDIUM 5.5 UPGRADE The parse_report() function in whoopsie.c in Whoopsie through 0.2.69 mishandles memory allocation failures, wh
CVE-2020-12135 MEDIUM 5.5 UPGRADE UPGRADE bson before 0.8 incorrectly uses int rather than size_t for many variables, parameters, and return values
CVE-2019-11484 MEDIUM 6.3 MITIGATE MITIGATE Kevin Backhouse discovered an integer overflow in bson_ensure_space, as used in whoopsie.

References

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