How severe is CVE-2020-15590?

CVE-2020-15590 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 high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2020-15590 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (83rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-15590?

CVE-2020-15590 affects Privateinternetaccess Private Internet Access Vpn Client. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-15590?

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-2020-15590 published?

CVE-2020-15590 was published on 2020-09-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-15590

CVE-2020-15590 is a high-severity vulnerability in Privateinternetaccess Private Internet Access Vpn Client 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-863.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (83rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-863
Affected product: Privateinternetaccess Private Internet Access Vpn Client
Published: 2020-09-14
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A vulnerability in the Private Internet Access (PIA) VPN Client for Linux 1.5 through 2.3+ allows remote attackers to bypass an intended VPN kill switch mechanism and read sensitive information via intercepting network traffic. Since 1.5, PIA has supported a “split tunnel” OpenVPN bypass option. The PIA killswitch & associated iptables firewall is designed to protect you while using the Internet. When the kill switch is configured to block all inbound and outbound network traffic, privileged applications can continue sending & receiving network traffic if net.ipv4.ip_forward has been enabled in the system kernel parameters. For example, a Docker container running on a host with the VPN turned off, and the kill switch turned on, can continue using the internet, leaking the host IP (CWE 200). In PIA 2.4.0+, policy-based routing is enabled by default and is used to direct all forwarded packets to the VPN interface automatically.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-15590?: A vulnerability in the Private Internet Access (PIA) VPN Client for Linux 1.5 through 2.3+ allows remote attackers to bypass an intended VPN kill switch mechanism and read sensitive information via intercepting network traffic. Since 1.5, PIA has supported a “split tunnel” OpenVPN bypass option. The PIA killswitch & associated iptables firewall is designed to protect you while using the Internet. When the kill switch is configured to block all inbound and outbound network traffic, privileged applications can continue sending & receiving network traffic if net.ipv4.ip_forward has been enabled in the system kernel parameters. For example, a Docker container running on a host with the VPN turned off, and the kill switch turned on, can continue using the internet, leaking the host IP (CWE 200). In PIA 2.4.0+, policy-based routing is enabled by default and is used to direct all forwarded packets to the VPN interface automatically.
How severe is CVE-2020-15590?: CVE-2020-15590 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 high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2020-15590 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (83rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-15590?: CVE-2020-15590 affects Privateinternetaccess Private Internet Access Vpn Client. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-15590?: 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-2020-15590 published?: CVE-2020-15590 was published on 2020-09-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:privateinternetaccess:private_internet_access_vpn_client:*:*:*:*:*:linux:*:*

Other CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-48286 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Campaign Classic (ACC) versions 7.4.3 build 9396 and earlier are affected by an Incorrect Authorization…
CVE-2026-48303 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Campaign Classic (ACC) versions 7.4.3 build 9394 and earlier are affected by an Incorrect Authorization…
CVE-2026-44330 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): free5GC is an open-source implementation of the 5G core network. Prior to 4.2.2, free5GC's NEF mounts the…
CVE-2026-46595 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Previously, CVE-2024-45337 fixed an authorization bypass for misused ssh server configurations; if any other type of…
CVE-2026-33105 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Improper authorization in Microsoft Azure Kubernetes Service allows an unauthorized attacker to elevate privileges over…
CVE-2026-32213 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Improper authorization in Azure AI Foundry allows an unauthorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network.

Browse all CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization) vulnerabilities →