How severe is CVE-2020-27840?

CVE-2020-27840 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-2020-27840 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-27840?

CVE-2020-27840 primarily affects Samba. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-27840?

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-2020-27840 published?

CVE-2020-27840 was published on 2021-05-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-27840

CVE-2020-27840 is a high-severity vulnerability in Samba 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-125.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (89th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-125
Affected product: Samba
Published: 2021-05-12
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A flaw was found in samba. Spaces used in a string around a domain name (DN), while supposed to be ignored, can cause invalid DN strings with spaces to instead write a zero-byte into out-of-bounds memory, resulting in a crash. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to system availability.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-27840?: A flaw was found in samba. Spaces used in a string around a domain name (DN), while supposed to be ignored, can cause invalid DN strings with spaces to instead write a zero-byte into out-of-bounds memory, resulting in a crash. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to system availability.
How severe is CVE-2020-27840?: CVE-2020-27840 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-2020-27840 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-27840?: CVE-2020-27840 primarily affects Samba. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-27840?: 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-2020-27840 published?: CVE-2020-27840 was published on 2021-05-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (6)

cpe:2.3:a:samba:samba:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:32:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:33:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:34:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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