How severe is CVE-2020-28368?

CVE-2020-28368 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.4, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2020-28368 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-2020-28368?

CVE-2020-28368 primarily affects Xen. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-28368?

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

When was CVE-2020-28368 published?

CVE-2020-28368 was published on 2020-11-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-28368

CVE-2020-28368 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Xen with a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.4. 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-862.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 4.4)
CVSS v2: 2.1
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (31st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-862
Affected product: Xen
Published: 2020-11-10
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Xen through 4.14.x allows guest OS administrators to obtain sensitive information (such as AES keys from outside the guest) via a side-channel attack on a power/energy monitoring interface, aka a "Platypus" attack. NOTE: there is only one logically independent fix: to change the access control for each such interface in Xen.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-28368?: Xen through 4.14.x allows guest OS administrators to obtain sensitive information (such as AES keys from outside the guest) via a side-channel attack on a power/energy monitoring interface, aka a "Platypus" attack. NOTE: there is only one logically independent fix: to change the access control for each such interface in Xen.
How severe is CVE-2020-28368?: CVE-2020-28368 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.4, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2020-28368 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-2020-28368?: CVE-2020-28368 primarily affects Xen. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-28368?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2020-28368 published?: CVE-2020-28368 was published on 2020-11-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:o:xen:xen:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:32:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Xen

CVE-2017-10921 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The grant-table feature in Xen through 4.8.x does not ensure sufficient type counts for a GNTMAP_device_map and…
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