CVE-2020-16125

Public Exploit
gdm3 would start gnome-initial-setup if it cannot contact accountservice

Description

gdm3 versions before 3.36.2 or 3.38.2 would start gnome-initial-setup if gdm3 can't contact the accountservice service via dbus in a timely manner; on Ubuntu (and potentially derivatives) this could be be chained with an additional issue that could allow a local user to create a new privileged account.

Category

7.2
CVSS
Severity: High
CVSS 3.1 •
CVSS 2.0 •
EPSS 17.56% Top 10%
Vendor Advisory gnome.org
Affected: Gnome GDM3
Published at:
Updated at:

References

Link Tags
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gdm/-/issues/642 vendor advisory exploit
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gdm3/+bug/1900314 third party advisory
https://securitylab.github.com/advisories/GHSL-2020-202-gdm3-LPE-unresponsive-accounts-daemon third party advisory exploit

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the severity of CVE-2020-16125?
CVE-2020-16125 has been scored as a high severity vulnerability.
How to fix CVE-2020-16125?
To fix CVE-2020-16125, make sure you are using an up-to-date version of the affected component(s) by checking the vendor release notes. As for now, there are no other specific guidelines available.
Is CVE-2020-16125 being actively exploited in the wild?
It is possible that CVE-2020-16125 is being exploited or will be exploited in a near future based on public information. According to its EPSS score, there is a ~18% probability that this vulnerability will be exploited by malicious actors in the next 30 days.
What software or system is affected by CVE-2020-16125?
CVE-2020-16125 affects Gnome GDM3.
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