How severe is CVE-2020-16127?

CVE-2020-16127 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 2.8, rated low severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability low.

Is CVE-2020-16127 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (33rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-16127?

CVE-2020-16127 affects Freedesktop Accountsservice. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-16127?

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

When was CVE-2020-16127 published?

CVE-2020-16127 was published on 2020-11-11 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-16127

CVE-2020-16127 is a low-severity vulnerability in Freedesktop Accountsservice with a CVSS 3.x base score of 2.8. 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-835.

Key facts

Severity: Low (CVSS 3.x base score 2.8)
CVSS v2: 2.1
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (33rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-835
Affected product: Freedesktop Accountsservice
Published: 2020-11-11
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An Ubuntu-specific modification to AccountsService in versions before 0.6.55-0ubuntu13.2, among other earlier versions, would perform unbounded read operations on user-controlled ~/.pam_environment files, allowing an infinite loop if /dev/zero is symlinked to this location.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-16127?: An Ubuntu-specific modification to AccountsService in versions before 0.6.55-0ubuntu13.2, among other earlier versions, would perform unbounded read operations on user-controlled ~/.pam_environment files, allowing an infinite loop if /dev/zero is symlinked to this location.
How severe is CVE-2020-16127?: CVE-2020-16127 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 2.8, rated low severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability low.
Is CVE-2020-16127 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (33rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-16127?: CVE-2020-16127 affects Freedesktop Accountsservice. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-16127?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2020-16127 published?: CVE-2020-16127 was published on 2020-11-11 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://securitylab.github.com/advisories/GHSL-2020-187-accountsservice-drop-privs-DOS

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:freedesktop:accountsservice:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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