How severe is CVE-2020-25643?

CVE-2020-25643 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.2, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-25643 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (87th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-25643?

CVE-2020-25643 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux. In total, 20 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-25643?

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-2020-25643 published?

CVE-2020-25643 was published on 2020-10-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-25643

CVE-2020-25643 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.2. 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-20.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.2)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (87th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Redhat Enterprise Linux
Published: 2020-10-06
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A flaw was found in the HDLC_PPP module of the Linux kernel in versions before 5.9-rc7. Memory corruption and a read overflow is caused by improper input validation in the ppp_cp_parse_cr function which can cause the system to crash or cause a denial of service. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-25643?: A flaw was found in the HDLC_PPP module of the Linux kernel in versions before 5.9-rc7. Memory corruption and a read overflow is caused by improper input validation in the ppp_cp_parse_cr function which can cause the system to crash or cause a denial of service. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability.
How severe is CVE-2020-25643?: CVE-2020-25643 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.2, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-25643 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (87th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-25643?: CVE-2020-25643 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux. In total, 20 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-25643?: 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-2020-25643 published?: CVE-2020-25643 was published on 2020-10-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (20)

cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.9.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.9.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.9.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.9.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.9.0:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.9.0:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:15.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:15.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:netapp:h410c_firmware:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:starwindsoftware:starwind_virtual_san:v8:build12533:*:*:*:vsphere:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:starwindsoftware:starwind_virtual_san:v8:build12658:*:*:*:vsphere:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:starwindsoftware:starwind_virtual_san:v8:build12859:*:*:*:vsphere:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:starwindsoftware:starwind_virtual_san:v8:build13170:*:*:*:vsphere:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:starwindsoftware:starwind_virtual_san:v8:build13586:*:*:*:vsphere:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:starwindsoftware:starwind_virtual_san:v8:build13861:*:*:*:vsphere:*:*

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