CVE-2020-37164: AbsoluteTelnet 11.12 contains a denial of service vulnerability that allows local attackers to crash the appli

Q: How do I fix CVE-2020-37164?

absolutetelnet: upgrade to newer than 11.12. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2020-37164 being exploited?

CVE-2020-37164 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

Q: What does CVE-2020-37164 affect?

CVE-2020-37164 affects absolutetelnet. Severity is medium (CVSS 6.2). AbsoluteTelnet 11.12 contains a denial of service vulnerability that allows local attackers to crash the application by supplying an oversized license name. Attackers can generate a 2500-character payload and paste it into the license entry

Q: How urgent is CVE-2020-37164?

Priority 31/100. Public exploit reference

Routine

MEDIUM 6.2UPGRADE

CVE-2020-37164 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 6.2) affecting absolutetelnet. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

AbsoluteTelnet 11.12 contains a denial of service vulnerability that allows local attackers to crash the application by supplying an oversized license name. Attackers can generate a 2500-character payload and paste it into the license entry field to trigger an application crash.

Why this priority

Public exploit reference

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	6.2 (Medium)
Attack vector	Local
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	0.2% (top 84%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-120
Published	2026-02-07
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): VulnCheck · Vendor: celestialsoftware

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2026-02-07 00:15 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 03:17 UTCUpdated Record last modified

celestialsoftware absolutetelnet UPGRADE

Affected: <= 11.12

Fixed in: newer than 11.12

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

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

2. UPGRADE to newer than 11.12 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade absolutetelnet

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade absolutetelnet

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

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-2020-37164?

absolutetelnet: upgrade to newer than 11.12. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2020-37164 being exploited?

CVE-2020-37164 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-2020-37164 affect?

CVE-2020-37164 affects absolutetelnet. Severity is medium (CVSS 6.2). AbsoluteTelnet 11.12 contains a denial of service vulnerability that allows local attackers to crash the application by supplying an oversized license name. Attackers can generate a 2500-character payload and paste it into the license entry

How urgent is CVE-2020-37164?

Priority 31/100. Public exploit reference

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CVE-2020-37165 MEDIUM 6.2 UPGRADE AbsoluteTelnet 11.12 contains a denial of service vulnerability that allows local attackers to crash the appli

References

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