How severe is CVE-2020-8037?

CVE-2020-8037 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-8037 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (86th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-8037?

CVE-2020-8037 primarily affects Tcpdump. In total, 21 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-8037?

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

When was CVE-2020-8037 published?

CVE-2020-8037 was published on 2020-11-04 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-8037

CVE-2020-8037 is a high-severity vulnerability in Tcpdump with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. 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-770.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (86th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-770
Affected product: Tcpdump
Published: 2020-11-04
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The ppp decapsulator in tcpdump 4.9.3 can be convinced to allocate a large amount of memory.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-8037?: The ppp decapsulator in tcpdump 4.9.3 can be convinced to allocate a large amount of memory.
How severe is CVE-2020-8037?: CVE-2020-8037 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-8037 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (86th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-8037?: CVE-2020-8037 primarily affects Tcpdump. In total, 21 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-8037?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2020-8037 published?: CVE-2020-8037 was published on 2020-11-04 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (21)

cpe:2.3:a:tcpdump:tcpdump:4.9.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:32:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:33:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.14.6:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.14.6:security_update_2019-001:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.14.6:security_update_2019-002:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.14.6:security_update_2020-001:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.14.6:security_update_2020-002:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.14.6:security_update_2020-003:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.14.6:security_update_2020-004:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.14.6:security_update_2020-005:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.14.6:security_update_2020-006:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.14.6:security_update_2020-007:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.14.6:security_update_2021-001:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2020-001:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2021-001:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:supplemental_update:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:macos:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Tcpdump

CVE-2018-10105 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): tcpdump before 4.9.3 mishandles the printing of SMB data (issue 2 of 2).
CVE-2018-10103 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): tcpdump before 4.9.3 mishandles the printing of SMB data (issue 1 of 2).
CVE-2017-13725 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The IPv6 routing header parser in tcpdump before 4.9.2 has a buffer over-read in print-rt6.c:rt6_print().
CVE-2017-13690 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The IKEv2 parser in tcpdump before 4.9.2 has a buffer over-read in print-isakmp.c, several functions.
CVE-2017-13689 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The IKEv1 parser in tcpdump before 4.9.2 has a buffer over-read in print-isakmp.c:ikev1_id_print().
CVE-2017-13688 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The OLSR parser in tcpdump before 4.9.2 has a buffer over-read in print-olsr.c:olsr_print().

All CVEs affecting Tcpdump →

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