CVE-2020-14309: Buffer Overflow

Published Jun 29, 2020
·
Updated

A flaw was found in grub2. When handling squashfs filesystems containing a symbolic link with name length of UINT32 bytes in size, the name size leads to an arithmetic overflow leading to a zero-size allocation further causing a heap-based buffer overflow with attacker controlled data. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability.

Other sources

Integer overflow in grubsquashreadsymlink triggered by a specially crafted squashfs filesystem containing a symlink inode with a name length of UINT32, which leads to a zero-sized allocation and subsequent heap buffer overflow with attacker controlled data.

Red Hat

There's an issue with grub2 in all versions before 2.06 when handling squashfs filesystems containing a symbolic link with name length of UINT32 bytes in size. The name size leads to an arithmetic overflow leading to a zero-size allocation further causing a heap-based buffer overflow with attacker controlled data.

Affected Software

33 affected componentsFixes available
redhat/fwupdate<0:12-6.el7_8
0:12-6.el7_8
redhat/grub2<1:2.02-0.86.el7_8
1:2.02-0.86.el7_8
redhat/shim<0:15-7.el7_9
0:15-7.el7_9
redhat/shim-signed<0:15-7.el7_8
0:15-7.el7_8
redhat/grub2<1:2.02-0.86.el7_2
1:2.02-0.86.el7_2
redhat/shim<0:15-8.el7
0:15-8.el7
redhat/shim-signed<0:15-8.el7_2
0:15-8.el7_2
redhat/grub2<1:2.02-0.86.el7
1:2.02-0.86.el7
redhat/shim-signed<0:15-8.el7_3
0:15-8.el7_3
redhat/fwupdate<0:9-10.el7_4
0:9-10.el7_4
redhat/grub2<1:2.02-0.86.el7_4
1:2.02-0.86.el7_4
redhat/shim-signed<0:15-8.el7_4
0:15-8.el7_4
redhat/fwupdate<0:12-6.el7_6
0:12-6.el7_6
redhat/grub2<1:2.02-0.86.el7_6
1:2.02-0.86.el7_6
redhat/shim-signed<0:15-8.el7_6
0:15-8.el7_6
redhat/fwupdate<0:12-6.el7_7
0:12-6.el7_7
redhat/grub2<1:2.02-0.86.el7_7
1:2.02-0.86.el7_7
redhat/shim-signed<0:15-8.el7_7
0:15-8.el7_7
redhat/fwupd<0:1.1.4-7.el8_2
0:1.1.4-7.el8_2
redhat/grub2<1:2.02-87.el8_2
1:2.02-87.el8_2
redhat/shim<0:15-14.el8_2
0:15-14.el8_2
redhat/shim-unsigned-x64<0:15-7.el8
0:15-7.el8
redhat/fwupd<0:1.1.4-2.el8_0
0:1.1.4-2.el8_0
redhat/grub2<1:2.02-87.el8_0
1:2.02-87.el8_0
redhat/shim<0:15-14.el8_0
0:15-14.el8_0
redhat/fwupd<0:1.1.4-2.el8_1
0:1.1.4-2.el8_1
redhat/grub2<1:2.02-87.el8_1
1:2.02-87.el8_1
redhat/shim<0:15-14.el8_1
0:15-14.el8_1
redhat/grub<2.06
2.06
GNU GRUB2<2.06
openSUSE Leap=15.1
openSUSE Leap=15.2
debian/grub2
2.06-3~deb11u62.06-13+deb12u12.12-92.14~git20250718.0e36779-22.14-2

Event History

Jul 29, 2020
CVE Published
05:00 PM
Jul 30, 2020
CVE Published
via MITRE·12:49 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·12:49 PM
DescriptionWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·01:15 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Jan 11, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·11:40 PM
Description
Feb 23, 2026
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·06:22 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Data Sourced
via Debian·06:22 PM
DescriptionAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is CVE-2020-14309?

CVE-2020-14309 is a vulnerability in grub2 that allows for a heap-based buffer overflow with attacker controlled data.

2

How severe is CVE-2020-14309?

CVE-2020-14309 has a severity rating of 6.7, which is considered medium severity.

3

Which software versions are affected by CVE-2020-14309?

Grub2 versions before 2.06 are affected by CVE-2020-14309.

4

What is the remedy for CVE-2020-14309?

The remedy for CVE-2020-14309 is to update affected software versions to version 2.06.

5

Where can I find more information about CVE-2020-14309?

You can find more information about CVE-2020-14309 on the Red Hat Security Advisory page (RHSA-2020:3216) and the CVE page (CVE-2020-14309).

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203