How severe is CVE-2020-7454?

CVE-2020-7454 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-7454 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (84th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-7454?

CVE-2020-7454 primarily affects Freebsd. In total, 16 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-7454?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2020-7454 published?

CVE-2020-7454 was published on 2020-05-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-7454

CVE-2020-7454 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Freebsd with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. 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-20.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (84th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Freebsd
Published: 2020-05-13
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In FreeBSD 12.1-STABLE before r360971, 12.1-RELEASE before p5, 11.4-STABLE before r360971, 11.4-BETA1 before p1 and 11.3-RELEASE before p9, libalias does not properly validate packet length resulting in modules causing an out of bounds read/write condition if no checking was built into the module.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-7454?: In FreeBSD 12.1-STABLE before r360971, 12.1-RELEASE before p5, 11.4-STABLE before r360971, 11.4-BETA1 before p1 and 11.3-RELEASE before p9, libalias does not properly validate packet length resulting in modules causing an out of bounds read/write condition if no checking was built into the module.
How severe is CVE-2020-7454?: CVE-2020-7454 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-7454 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (84th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-7454?: CVE-2020-7454 primarily affects Freebsd. In total, 16 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-7454?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2020-7454 published?: CVE-2020-7454 was published on 2020-05-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (16)

cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:11.3:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:11.3:p1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:11.3:p2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:11.3:p3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:11.3:p4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:11.3:p5:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:11.3:p6:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:11.3:p7:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:11.3:p8:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:11.4:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:11.4:beta1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:12.1:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:12.1:p1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:12.1:p2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:12.1:p3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:12.1:p4:*:*:*:*:*:*

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