How severe is CVE-2020-16593?

CVE-2020-16593 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-16593 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (64th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-16593?

CVE-2020-16593 primarily affects Gnu Binutils. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-16593?

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

When was CVE-2020-16593 published?

CVE-2020-16593 was published on 2020-12-09 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-16593

CVE-2020-16593 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Gnu Binutils 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-476.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (64th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-476
Affected product: Gnu Binutils
Published: 2020-12-09
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A Null Pointer Dereference vulnerability exists in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.35, in scan_unit_for_symbols, as demonstrated in addr2line, that can cause a denial of service via a crafted file.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-16593?: A Null Pointer Dereference vulnerability exists in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.35, in scan_unit_for_symbols, as demonstrated in addr2line, that can cause a denial of service via a crafted file.
How severe is CVE-2020-16593?: CVE-2020-16593 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-16593 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (64th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-16593?: CVE-2020-16593 primarily affects Gnu Binutils. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-16593?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2020-16593 published?: CVE-2020-16593 was published on 2020-12-09 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (4)

cpe:2.3:a:gnu:binutils:2.35:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:netapp:cloud_backup:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:netapp:ontap_select_deploy_administration_utility:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:netapp:solidfire_\&_hci_management_node:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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