How severe is CVE-2020-27779?

CVE-2020-27779 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-27779 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (31st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-27779?

CVE-2020-27779 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-2020-27779?

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-2020-27779 published?

CVE-2020-27779 was published on 2021-03-03 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-27779

CVE-2020-27779 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux 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-285.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 6.9
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (31st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-285
Affected product: Redhat Enterprise Linux
Published: 2021-03-03
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A flaw was found in grub2 in versions prior to 2.06. The cutmem command does not honor secure boot locking allowing an privileged attacker to remove address ranges from memory creating an opportunity to circumvent SecureBoot protections after proper triage about grub's memory layout. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-27779?: A flaw was found in grub2 in versions prior to 2.06. The cutmem command does not honor secure boot locking allowing an privileged attacker to remove address ranges from memory creating an opportunity to circumvent SecureBoot protections after proper triage about grub's memory layout. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability.
How severe is CVE-2020-27779?: CVE-2020-27779 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-27779 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (31st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-27779?: CVE-2020-27779 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-2020-27779?: 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-2020-27779 published?: CVE-2020-27779 was published on 2021-03-03 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (20)

cpe:2.3:a:gnu:grub2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus:7.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus:8.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:33:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:34:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:netapp:ontap_select_deploy_administration_utility:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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