How severe is CVE-2020-27174?

CVE-2020-27174 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-2020-27174 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (75th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-27174?

CVE-2020-27174 affects Amazon Firecracker. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-27174?

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-2020-27174 published?

CVE-2020-27174 was published on 2020-10-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-27174

CVE-2020-27174 is a high-severity vulnerability in Amazon Firecracker 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-401.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (75th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-401
Affected product: Amazon Firecracker
Published: 2020-10-16
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In Amazon AWS Firecracker before 0.21.3, and 0.22.x before 0.22.1, the serial console buffer can grow its memory usage without limit when data is sent to the standard input. This can result in a memory leak on the microVM emulation thread, possibly occupying more memory than intended on the host.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-27174?: In Amazon AWS Firecracker before 0.21.3, and 0.22.x before 0.22.1, the serial console buffer can grow its memory usage without limit when data is sent to the standard input. This can result in a memory leak on the microVM emulation thread, possibly occupying more memory than intended on the host.
How severe is CVE-2020-27174?: CVE-2020-27174 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-2020-27174 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (75th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-27174?: CVE-2020-27174 affects Amazon Firecracker. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-27174?: 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-2020-27174 published?: CVE-2020-27174 was published on 2020-10-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:amazon:firecracker:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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