How severe is CVE-2020-16845?

CVE-2020-16845 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-2020-16845 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (91st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-16845?

CVE-2020-16845 primarily affects Golang Go. In total, 7 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-16845?

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-2020-16845 published?

CVE-2020-16845 was published on 2020-08-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-16845

CVE-2020-16845 is a high-severity vulnerability in Golang Go 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-835.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 5% (91st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-835
Affected product: Golang Go
Published: 2020-08-06
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Go before 1.13.15 and 14.x before 1.14.7 can have an infinite read loop in ReadUvarint and ReadVarint in encoding/binary via invalid inputs.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-16845?: Go before 1.13.15 and 14.x before 1.14.7 can have an infinite read loop in ReadUvarint and ReadVarint in encoding/binary via invalid inputs.
How severe is CVE-2020-16845?: CVE-2020-16845 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-2020-16845 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (91st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-16845?: CVE-2020-16845 primarily affects Golang Go. In total, 7 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-16845?: 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-2020-16845 published?: CVE-2020-16845 was published on 2020-08-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (7)

cpe:2.3:a:golang:go:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:15.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:15.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:31:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:32:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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