How severe is CVE-2020-28974?

CVE-2020-28974 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.0, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over physical access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity low, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-28974 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (40th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-28974?

CVE-2020-28974 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-28974?

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

When was CVE-2020-28974 published?

CVE-2020-28974 was published on 2020-11-20 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-28974

CVE-2020-28974 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.0. 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: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.0)
CVSS v2: 6.1
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (40th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-125
Affected product: Linux Linux Kernel
Published: 2020-11-20
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A slab-out-of-bounds read in fbcon in the Linux kernel before 5.9.7 could be used by local attackers to read privileged information or potentially crash the kernel, aka CID-3c4e0dff2095. This occurs because KD_FONT_OP_COPY in drivers/tty/vt/vt.c can be used for manipulations such as font height.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-28974?: A slab-out-of-bounds read in fbcon in the Linux kernel before 5.9.7 could be used by local attackers to read privileged information or potentially crash the kernel, aka CID-3c4e0dff2095. This occurs because KD_FONT_OP_COPY in drivers/tty/vt/vt.c can be used for manipulations such as font height.
How severe is CVE-2020-28974?: CVE-2020-28974 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.0, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over physical access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity low, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-28974 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (40th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-28974?: CVE-2020-28974 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-28974?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2020-28974 published?: CVE-2020-28974 was published on 2020-11-20 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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