How severe is CVE-2020-14331?

CVE-2020-14331 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.6, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over physical access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-14331 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (43rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-14331?

CVE-2020-14331 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux. In total, 9 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-14331?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2020-14331 published?

CVE-2020-14331 was published on 2020-09-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-14331

CVE-2020-14331 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.6. 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-787.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.6)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (43rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-787
Affected product: Redhat Enterprise Linux
Published: 2020-09-15
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel’s implementation of the invert video code on VGA consoles when a local attacker attempts to resize the console, calling an ioctl VT_RESIZE, which causes an out-of-bounds write to occur. This flaw allows a local user with access to the VGA console to crash the system, potentially escalating their privileges on the system. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-14331?: A flaw was found in the Linux kernel’s implementation of the invert video code on VGA consoles when a local attacker attempts to resize the console, calling an ioctl VT_RESIZE, which causes an out-of-bounds write to occur. This flaw allows a local user with access to the VGA console to crash the system, potentially escalating their privileges on the system. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability.
How severe is CVE-2020-14331?: CVE-2020-14331 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.6, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over physical access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-14331 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (43rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-14331?: CVE-2020-14331 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux. In total, 9 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-14331?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2020-14331 published?: CVE-2020-14331 was published on 2020-09-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (9)

cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.8.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.8.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.8.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.8.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.8.0:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.8.0:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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