How severe is CVE-2020-16146?

CVE-2020-16146 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 none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-16146 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (69th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-16146?

CVE-2020-16146 affects Espressif Esp-idf. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-16146?

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-2020-16146 published?

CVE-2020-16146 was published on 2021-01-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-16146

CVE-2020-16146 is a high-severity vulnerability in Espressif Esp-idf 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-120.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (69th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-120
Affected product: Espressif Esp-idf
Published: 2021-01-12
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Espressif ESP-IDF 2.x, 3.0.x through 3.0.9, 3.1.x through 3.1.7, 3.2.x through 3.2.3, 3.3.x through 3.3.2, and 4.0.x through 4.0.1 has a Buffer Overflow in BluFi provisioning in btc_blufi_recv_handler function in blufi_prf.c. An attacker can send a crafted BluFi protocol Write Attribute command to characteristic 0xFF01. With manipulated packet fields, there is a buffer overflow.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-16146?: Espressif ESP-IDF 2.x, 3.0.x through 3.0.9, 3.1.x through 3.1.7, 3.2.x through 3.2.3, 3.3.x through 3.3.2, and 4.0.x through 4.0.1 has a Buffer Overflow in BluFi provisioning in btc_blufi_recv_handler function in blufi_prf.c. An attacker can send a crafted BluFi protocol Write Attribute command to characteristic 0xFF01. With manipulated packet fields, there is a buffer overflow.
How severe is CVE-2020-16146?: CVE-2020-16146 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 none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-16146 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (69th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-16146?: CVE-2020-16146 affects Espressif Esp-idf. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-16146?: 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-2020-16146 published?: CVE-2020-16146 was published on 2021-01-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:espressif:esp-idf:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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