How severe is CVE-2020-15437?

CVE-2020-15437 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.4, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-15437 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (35th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-15437?

CVE-2020-15437 affects Linux Linux Kernel. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-15437?

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

When was CVE-2020-15437 published?

CVE-2020-15437 was published on 2020-11-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-15437

CVE-2020-15437 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.4. 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-476.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 4.4)
CVSS v2: 4.9
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (35th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-476
Affected product: Linux Linux Kernel
Published: 2020-11-23
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The Linux kernel before version 5.8 is vulnerable to a NULL pointer dereference in drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_core.c:serial8250_isa_init_ports() that allows local users to cause a denial of service by using the p->serial_in pointer which uninitialized.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-15437?: The Linux kernel before version 5.8 is vulnerable to a NULL pointer dereference in drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_core.c:serial8250_isa_init_ports() that allows local users to cause a denial of service by using the p->serial_in pointer which uninitialized.
How severe is CVE-2020-15437?: CVE-2020-15437 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.4, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-15437 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (35th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-15437?: CVE-2020-15437 affects Linux Linux Kernel. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-15437?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2020-15437 published?: CVE-2020-15437 was published on 2020-11-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://lkml.org/lkml/2020/7/21/80

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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