How severe is CVE-2020-11933?

CVE-2020-11933 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.3, rated high severity. It is exploitable over physical access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2020-11933 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (12th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-11933?

CVE-2020-11933 primarily affects Canonical Snapd. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-11933?

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-2020-11933 published?

CVE-2020-11933 was published on 2020-07-29 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-11933

CVE-2020-11933 is a high-severity vulnerability in Canonical Snapd with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.3. 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-264.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.3)
CVSS v2: 4.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (12th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-264
Affected product: Canonical Snapd
Published: 2020-07-29
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

cloud-init as managed by snapd on Ubuntu Core 16 and Ubuntu Core 18 devices was run without restrictions on every boot, which a physical attacker could exploit by crafting cloud-init user-data/meta-data via external media to perform arbitrary changes on the device to bypass intended security mechanisms such as full disk encryption. This issue did not affect traditional Ubuntu systems. Fixed in snapd version 2.45.2, revision 8539 and core version 2.45.2, revision 9659.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-11933?: cloud-init as managed by snapd on Ubuntu Core 16 and Ubuntu Core 18 devices was run without restrictions on every boot, which a physical attacker could exploit by crafting cloud-init user-data/meta-data via external media to perform arbitrary changes on the device to bypass intended security mechanisms such as full disk encryption. This issue did not affect traditional Ubuntu systems. Fixed in snapd version 2.45.2, revision 8539 and core version 2.45.2, revision 9659.
How severe is CVE-2020-11933?: CVE-2020-11933 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.3, rated high severity. It is exploitable over physical access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2020-11933 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (12th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-11933?: CVE-2020-11933 primarily affects Canonical Snapd. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-11933?: 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-2020-11933 published?: CVE-2020-11933 was published on 2020-07-29 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (5)

cpe:2.3:a:canonical:snapd:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:19.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:20.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Canonical Snapd

CVE-2023-1523 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Using the TIOCLINUX ioctl request, a malicious snap could inject contents into the input of the controlling terminal…
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CVE-2024-5138 — High (CVSS 8.1): The snapctl component within snapd allows a confined snap to interact with the snapd daemon to take certain privileged…
CVE-2022-3328 — High (CVSS 7.8): Race condition in snap-confine's must_mkdir_and_open_with_perms()

All CVEs affecting Canonical Snapd →

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CVE-2016-7457 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): VMware vRealize Operations (aka vROps) 6.x before 6.4.0 allows remote authenticated users to gain privileges, or halt…
CVE-2015-7425 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The Data Protection component in the VMware vSphere GUI in IBM Tivoli Storage Manager for Virtual Environments: Data…
CVE-2015-8267 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The PasswordReset.Controllers.ResetController.ChangePasswordIndex method in PasswordReset.dll in Dovestones AD Self…
CVE-2015-7919 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): SearchBlox 8.3 before 8.3.1 allows remote attackers to write to the config file, and consequently cause a denial of…
CVE-2015-7071 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The File Bookmark component in Apple OS X before 10.11.2 allows attackers to bypass a sandbox protection mechanism for…

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