How severe is CVE-2020-28588?

CVE-2020-28588 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2020-28588 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (62nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-28588?

CVE-2020-28588 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-28588?

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

When was CVE-2020-28588 published?

CVE-2020-28588 was published on 2021-05-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-28588

CVE-2020-28588 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. 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-681.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 2.1
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (62nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-681
Affected product: Linux Linux Kernel
Published: 2021-05-10
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the /proc/pid/syscall functionality of Linux Kernel 5.1 Stable and 5.4.66. More specifically, this issue has been introduced in v5.1-rc4 (commit 631b7abacd02b88f4b0795c08b54ad4fc3e7c7c0) and is still present in v5.10-rc4, so it’s likely that all versions in between are affected. An attacker can read /proc/pid/syscall to trigger this vulnerability, which leads to the kernel leaking memory contents.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-28588?: An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the /proc/pid/syscall functionality of Linux Kernel 5.1 Stable and 5.4.66. More specifically, this issue has been introduced in v5.1-rc4 (commit 631b7abacd02b88f4b0795c08b54ad4fc3e7c7c0) and is still present in v5.10-rc4, so it’s likely that all versions in between are affected. An attacker can read /proc/pid/syscall to trigger this vulnerability, which leads to the kernel leaking memory contents.
How severe is CVE-2020-28588?: CVE-2020-28588 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2020-28588 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (62nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-28588?: CVE-2020-28588 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-28588?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2020-28588 published?: CVE-2020-28588 was published on 2021-05-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2020-1211

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.4.66:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.9.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.10:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*

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