How severe is CVE-2020-12689?

CVE-2020-12689 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-12689 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (72nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-12689?

CVE-2020-12689 primarily affects Openstack Keystone. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-12689?

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-2020-12689 published?

CVE-2020-12689 was published on 2020-05-07 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-12689

CVE-2020-12689 is a high-severity vulnerability in Openstack Keystone with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. 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-269.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
CVSS v2: 6.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (72nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-269
Affected product: Openstack Keystone
Published: 2020-05-07
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in OpenStack Keystone before 15.0.1, and 16.0.0. Any user authenticated within a limited scope (trust/oauth/application credential) can create an EC2 credential with an escalated permission, such as obtaining admin while the user is on a limited viewer role. This potentially allows a malicious user to act as the admin on a project another user has the admin role on, which can effectively grant that user global admin privileges.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-12689?: An issue was discovered in OpenStack Keystone before 15.0.1, and 16.0.0. Any user authenticated within a limited scope (trust/oauth/application credential) can create an EC2 credential with an escalated permission, such as obtaining admin while the user is on a limited viewer role. This potentially allows a malicious user to act as the admin on a project another user has the admin role on, which can effectively grant that user global admin privileges.
How severe is CVE-2020-12689?: CVE-2020-12689 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-12689 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (72nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-12689?: CVE-2020-12689 primarily affects Openstack Keystone. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-12689?: 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-2020-12689 published?: CVE-2020-12689 was published on 2020-05-07 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:a:openstack:keystone:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:openstack:keystone:16.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Openstack Keystone

CVE-2020-12691 — High (CVSS 8.8): An issue was discovered in OpenStack Keystone before 15.0.1, and 16.0.0. Any authenticated user can create an EC2…
CVE-2020-12690 — High (CVSS 8.8): An issue was discovered in OpenStack Keystone before 15.0.1, and 16.0.0. The list of roles provided for an OAuth1…
CVE-2019-19687 — High (CVSS 8.8): OpenStack Keystone 15.0.0 and 16.0.0 is affected by Data Leakage in the list credentials API. Any user with a role on a…
CVE-2026-43001 — High (CVSS 7.9): An issue was discovered in OpenStack Keystone before 29.0.2. POST /v3/credentials did not validate that the…
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CVE-2021-38155 — High (CVSS 7.5): OpenStack Keystone 10.x through 16.x before 16.0.2, 17.x before 17.0.1, 18.x before 18.0.1, and 19.x before 19.0.1…

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