How severe is CVE-2020-15709?

CVE-2020-15709 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2020-15709 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (23rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-15709?

CVE-2020-15709 affects Canonical Add-apt-repository. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-15709?

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

When was CVE-2020-15709 published?

CVE-2020-15709 was published on 2020-09-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-15709

CVE-2020-15709 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Canonical Add-apt-repository with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. 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-20.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 2.1
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (23rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Canonical Add-apt-repository
Published: 2020-09-05
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Versions of add-apt-repository before 0.98.9.2, 0.96.24.32.14, 0.96.20.10, and 0.92.37.8ubuntu0.1~esm1, printed a PPA (personal package archive) description to the terminal as-is, which allowed PPA owners to provide ANSI terminal escapes to modify terminal contents in unexpected ways.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-15709?: Versions of add-apt-repository before 0.98.9.2, 0.96.24.32.14, 0.96.20.10, and 0.92.37.8ubuntu0.1~esm1, printed a PPA (personal package archive) description to the terminal as-is, which allowed PPA owners to provide ANSI terminal escapes to modify terminal contents in unexpected ways.
How severe is CVE-2020-15709?: CVE-2020-15709 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2020-15709 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (23rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-15709?: CVE-2020-15709 affects Canonical Add-apt-repository. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-15709?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2020-15709 published?: CVE-2020-15709 was published on 2020-09-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://git.launchpad.net/software-properties/commit/add-apt-repository?id=97e2fe7d181e8711e0f5253d3b8db40426c17f1e

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:canonical:add-apt-repository:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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