CVE-2015-8620
CVE-2015-8620 is a high-severity vulnerability in Avast Avast Free Antivirus with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-119.
Key facts
- Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
- CVSS v2: 7.2
- EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (39th percentile)
- Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
- Weakness: CWE-119
- Affected product: Avast Avast Free Antivirus
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
Heap-based buffer overflow in the Avast virtualization driver (aswSnx.sys) in Avast Internet Security, Pro Antivirus, Premier, and Free Antivirus before 11.1.2253 allows local users to gain privileges via a Unicode file path in an IOCTL request.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2015-8620?
- Heap-based buffer overflow in the Avast virtualization driver (aswSnx.sys) in Avast Internet Security, Pro Antivirus, Premier, and Free Antivirus before 11.1.2253 allows local users to gain privileges via a Unicode file path in an IOCTL request.
- How severe is CVE-2015-8620?
- CVE-2015-8620 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
- Is CVE-2015-8620 being actively exploited?
- It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (39th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- What products are affected by CVE-2015-8620?
- CVE-2015-8620 primarily affects Avast Avast Free Antivirus. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2015-8620?
- Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
- When was CVE-2015-8620 published?
- CVE-2015-8620 was published on 2016-04-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/135859/Avast-11.1.2245-Heap-Overflow.html
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2016/Feb/94
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1035093
- https://www.nettitude.co.uk/exploiting-a-kernel-paged-pool-buffer-overflow-in-avast-virtualization-driver/
Affected products (4)
- cpe:2.3:a:avast:avast_free_antivirus:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:avast:avast_internet_security:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:avast:avast_premier:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:avast:avast_pro_antivirus:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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