How severe is CVE-2020-7458?

CVE-2020-7458 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-2020-7458 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (77th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-7458?

CVE-2020-7458 primarily affects Freebsd. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-7458?

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-2020-7458 published?

CVE-2020-7458 was published on 2020-07-09 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-7458

CVE-2020-7458 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-787.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (77th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-787
Affected product: Freebsd
Published: 2020-07-09
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In FreeBSD 12.1-STABLE before r362281, 11.4-STABLE before r362281, and 11.4-RELEASE before p1, long values in the user-controlled PATH environment variable cause posix_spawnp to write beyond the end of the heap allocated stack possibly leading to arbitrary code execution.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-7458?: In FreeBSD 12.1-STABLE before r362281, 11.4-STABLE before r362281, and 11.4-RELEASE before p1, long values in the user-controlled PATH environment variable cause posix_spawnp to write beyond the end of the heap allocated stack possibly leading to arbitrary code execution.
How severe is CVE-2020-7458?: CVE-2020-7458 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-2020-7458 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (77th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-7458?: CVE-2020-7458 primarily affects Freebsd. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-7458?: 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-2020-7458 published?: CVE-2020-7458 was published on 2020-07-09 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

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:-:*:*:*:*:*:*

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