CVE-2018-20020: Critical severity Libvnc Project Libvncserver vulnerability

Published Dec 19, 2018
·
Updated

Last updated 11 July 2025

Other sources

LibVNC before commit 7b1ef0ffc4815cab9a96c7278394152bdc89dc4d contains heap out-of-bound write vulnerability inside structure in VNC client code that can result remote code execution

Launchpad

Affected Software

10 affected componentsFixes available
Libvnc Project Libvncserver<0.9.12
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=14.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=16.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.10
Debian Debian Linux=8.0
Debian Debian Linux=9.0
debian/libvncserver
0.9.13+dfsg-2+deb11u10.9.14+dfsg-1+deb12u10.9.15+dfsg-1+deb13u10.9.15+dfsg-6
debian/ssvnc
1.0.29-51.0.29-61.0.29-6.11.0.29-7
debian/veyon
4.5.3+repack1-14.7.5+repack1-14.9.5+repack1-24.9.7+repack1-1.1

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/libvncserver to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0.9.13+dfsg-2+deb11u1Fixed in 0.9.14+dfsg-1+deb12u1Fixed in 0.9.15+dfsg-1+deb13u1Fixed in 0.9.15+dfsg-6
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/ssvnc to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 1.0.29-5Fixed in 1.0.29-6Fixed in 1.0.29-6.1Fixed in 1.0.29-7
  3. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/veyon to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 4.5.3+repack1-1Fixed in 4.7.5+repack1-1Fixed in 4.9.5+repack1-2Fixed in 4.9.7+repack1-1.1
  4. Upgrade

    Upgrade LibVNC to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Patch 7b1ef0ffc4815cab9a96c7278394152bdc89dc4d

Event History

Dec 19, 2018
CVE Published
via MITRE·04:00 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·04:00 PM
DescriptionWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·04:29 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Jan 11, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·10:58 PM
Description
Jul 21, 2025
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·03:58 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Jul 5, 2026
Data Sourced
via Debian·02:49 AM
DescriptionAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2018-20020?

The severity of CVE-2018-20020 is critical.

2

What is the vulnerability ID for LibVNC before commit 7b1ef0ffc4815cab9a96c7278394152bdc89dc4d?

The vulnerability ID for LibVNC before commit 7b1ef0ffc4815cab9a96c7278394152bdc89dc4d is CVE-2018-20020.

3

How can the heap out-of-bound write vulnerability in LibVNC before commit 7b1ef0ffc4815cab9a96c7278394152bdc89dc4d result in remote code execution?

The heap out-of-bound write vulnerability in LibVNC before commit 7b1ef0ffc4815cab9a96c7278394152bdc89dc4d can allow attackers to execute code remotely by exploiting the vulnerability in the VNC client code.

4

Which software versions are affected by CVE-2018-20020?

The affected software versions for CVE-2018-20020 include Ubuntu tightvnc 1:1.3.9-6.5+, Ubuntu libvncserver 0.9.11+dfsg-1ubuntu1.1, Ubuntu libvncserver 0.9.11+dfsg-1.1ubuntu0.1, Ubuntu libvncserver 0.9.11+dfsg-1.2, Ubuntu libvncserver 0.9.10+dfsg-3ubuntu0.16.04.3, Ubuntu libvncserver 0.9.9+dfsg-1ubuntu1.4, Ubuntu italc 1:3.0.3+dfsg1-3ubuntu0.1, Ubuntu italc 1:3.0.3+dfsg1-1+, Ubuntu italc 1:2.0.2+dfsg1-2+, Ubuntu italc 1:2.0.2+dfsg1-4ubuntu0.1, Ubuntu ssvnc 1.9.29-2+, Ubuntu ssvnc 1.0.29-2+, Debian libvncserver 0.9.11+dfsg-1.3+deb10u4, Debian libvncserver 0.9.11+dfsg-1.3+deb10u5, Debian libvncserver 0.9.13+dfsg-2+deb11u1, Debian libvncserver 0.9.14+dfsg-1, Debian ssvnc 1.0.29-4+deb10u1, Debian ssvnc 1.0.29-5, Debian ssvnc 1.0.29-6.

5

How can the vulnerability in LibVNC before commit 7b1ef0ffc4815cab9a96c7278394152bdc89dc4d be fixed?

To fix the vulnerability in LibVNC before commit 7b1ef0ffc4815cab9a96c7278394152bdc89dc4d, it is recommended to update to a version that includes the fix, such as commit 7b1ef0ffc4815cab9a96c7278394152bdc89dc4d.

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