How severe is CVE-2020-17489?

CVE-2020-17489 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.3, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over physical access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2020-17489 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (42nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-17489?

CVE-2020-17489 primarily affects Gnome Gnome-shell. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-17489?

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

When was CVE-2020-17489 published?

CVE-2020-17489 was published on 2020-08-11 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-17489

CVE-2020-17489 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Gnome Gnome-shell with a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.3. 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-522.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 4.3)
CVSS v2: 1.9
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (42nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-522
Affected product: Gnome Gnome-shell
Published: 2020-08-11
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in certain configurations of GNOME gnome-shell through 3.36.4. When logging out of an account, the password box from the login dialog reappears with the password still visible. If the user had decided to have the password shown in cleartext at login time, it is then visible for a brief moment upon a logout. (If the password were never shown in cleartext, only the password length is revealed.)

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-17489?: An issue was discovered in certain configurations of GNOME gnome-shell through 3.36.4. When logging out of an account, the password box from the login dialog reappears with the password still visible. If the user had decided to have the password shown in cleartext at login time, it is then visible for a brief moment upon a logout. (If the password were never shown in cleartext, only the password length is revealed.)
How severe is CVE-2020-17489?: CVE-2020-17489 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.3, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over physical access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2020-17489 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (42nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-17489?: CVE-2020-17489 primarily affects Gnome Gnome-shell. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-17489?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2020-17489 published?: CVE-2020-17489 was published on 2020-08-11 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (4)

cpe:2.3:a:gnome:gnome-shell:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:20.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:15.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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