How severe is CVE-2020-12062?

CVE-2020-12062 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2020-12062 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (81st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-12062?

CVE-2020-12062 affects Openbsd Openssh. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-12062?

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-2020-12062 published?

CVE-2020-12062 was published on 2020-06-01 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-12062

CVE-2020-12062 is a high-severity vulnerability in Openbsd Openssh with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. 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-20.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (81st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Openbsd Openssh
Published: 2020-06-01
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The scp client in OpenSSH 8.2 incorrectly sends duplicate responses to the server upon a utimes system call failure, which allows a malicious unprivileged user on the remote server to overwrite arbitrary files in the client's download directory by creating a crafted subdirectory anywhere on the remote server. The victim must use the command scp -rp to download a file hierarchy containing, anywhere inside, this crafted subdirectory. NOTE: the vendor points out that "this attack can achieve no more than a hostile peer is already able to achieve within the scp protocol" and "utimes does not fail under normal circumstances.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-12062?: The scp client in OpenSSH 8.2 incorrectly sends duplicate responses to the server upon a utimes system call failure, which allows a malicious unprivileged user on the remote server to overwrite arbitrary files in the client's download directory by creating a crafted subdirectory anywhere on the remote server. The victim must use the command scp -rp to download a file hierarchy containing, anywhere inside, this crafted subdirectory. NOTE: the vendor points out that "this attack can achieve no more than a hostile peer is already able to achieve within the scp protocol" and "utimes does not fail under normal circumstances.
How severe is CVE-2020-12062?: CVE-2020-12062 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2020-12062 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (81st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-12062?: CVE-2020-12062 affects Openbsd Openssh. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-12062?: 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-2020-12062 published?: CVE-2020-12062 was published on 2020-06-01 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:openbsd:openssh:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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Threat intelligence

Threat-intel indicators referencing this CVE:

112.161.26.125 (ipv4-addr)
101.99.81.76 (ipv4-addr)
91.86.88.24 (ipv4-addr)
71.12.241.225 (ipv4-addr)
24.142.170.231 (ipv4-addr)
14.42.47.150 (ipv4-addr)
94.61.159.91 (ipv4-addr)
90.173.78.90 (ipv4-addr)