How severe is CVE-2020-12278?

CVE-2020-12278 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-12278 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (91st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-12278?

CVE-2020-12278 primarily affects Libgit2. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-12278?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2020-12278 published?

CVE-2020-12278 was published on 2020-04-27 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-12278

CVE-2020-12278 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Libgit2 with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. 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-706.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 5% (91st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-706
Affected product: Libgit2
Published: 2020-04-27
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in libgit2 before 0.28.4 and 0.9x before 0.99.0. path.c mishandles equivalent filenames that exist because of NTFS Alternate Data Streams. This may allow remote code execution when cloning a repository. This issue is similar to CVE-2019-1352.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-12278?: An issue was discovered in libgit2 before 0.28.4 and 0.9x before 0.99.0. path.c mishandles equivalent filenames that exist because of NTFS Alternate Data Streams. This may allow remote code execution when cloning a repository. This issue is similar to CVE-2019-1352.
How severe is CVE-2020-12278?: CVE-2020-12278 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-12278 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (91st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-12278?: CVE-2020-12278 primarily affects Libgit2. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-12278?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2020-12278 published?: CVE-2020-12278 was published on 2020-04-27 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:a:libgit2:libgit2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Libgit2

CVE-2020-12279 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue was discovered in libgit2 before 0.28.4 and 0.9x before 0.99.0. checkout.c mishandles equivalent filenames…
CVE-2014-9390 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Git before 1.8.5.6, 1.9.x before 1.9.5, 2.0.x before 2.0.5, 2.1.x before 2.1.4, and 2.2.x before 2.2.1 on Windows and…
CVE-2024-24577 — High (CVSS 8.6): libgit2 is a portable C implementation of the Git core methods provided as a linkable library with a solid API,…
CVE-2018-10887 — High (CVSS 8.1): A flaw was found in libgit2 before version 0.27.3. It has been discovered that an unexpected sign extension in…
CVE-2024-24575 — High (CVSS 7.5): libgit2 is a portable C implementation of the Git core methods provided as a linkable library with a solid API,…
CVE-2018-15501 — High (CVSS 7.5): In ng_pkt in transports/smart_pkt.c in libgit2 before 0.26.6 and 0.27.x before 0.27.4, a remote attacker can send a…

All CVEs affecting Libgit2 →

Other CWE-706 vulnerabilities

CVE-2025-65474 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An arbitrary file rename vulnerability in the /admin/manager.php component of EasyImages 2.0 v2.8.6 and below allows…
CVE-2024-35198 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): TorchServe is a flexible and easy-to-use tool for serving and scaling PyTorch models in production. TorchServe 's check…
CVE-2023-31814 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): D-Link DIR-300 firmware <=REVA1.06 and <=REVB2.06 is vulnerable to File inclusion via /model/__lang_msg.php.
CVE-2022-30258 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue was discovered in Technitium DNS Server through 8.0.2 that allows variant V2 of unintended domain name…
CVE-2022-30257 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue was discovered in Technitium DNS Server through 8.0.2 that allows variant V1 of unintended domain name…
CVE-2021-40539 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Zoho ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus version 6113 and prior is vulnerable to REST API authentication bypass with…

Browse all CWE-706 vulnerabilities →