CVE-2020-14378: Integer Underflow

Published Sep 16, 2020
·
Updated

An integer underflow in dpdk versions before 18.11.10 and before 19.11.5 in the movedesc function can lead to large amounts of CPU cycles being eaten up in a long running loop. An attacker could cause movedesc to get stuck in a 4,294,967,295-count iteration loop. Depending on how vhostcrypto is being used this could prevent other VMs or network tasks from being serviced by the busy DPDK lcore for an extended period.

Other sources

An integer underflow in the movedesc function can lead to many cpu cycles being eaten up in a long running loop. An attacker could cause movedesc to get stuck in a 4,294,967,295 iteration loop. Depending on how vhostcrypto is being used this could prevent other VMs or network tasks from being serviced by the busy DPDK lcore for an extended period.

Red Hat

Affected Software

11 affected componentsFixes available
redhat/dpdk<18.11.10
18.11.10
redhat/dpdk<19.11.5
19.11.5
ubuntu/dpdk<19.11.3-0ubuntu0.2
19.11.3-0ubuntu0.2
debian/dpdk
20.11.10-1~deb11u120.11.6-1~deb11u122.11.5-1~deb12u123.11.1-2
DPDK Data Plane Development Kit>=18.02.1<18.11.10
DPDK Data Plane Development Kit>=19.02<19.11.5
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=20.04
openSUSE Leap=15.1
openSUSE Leap=15.2
Microsoft azl3 ceph 18.2.2-1
Microsoft azl3 ceph 18.2.2-8

Event History

Sep 28, 2020
CVE Published
via Ubuntu·12:00 AM
Sep 30, 2020
CVE Published
via MITRE·12:00 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·12:00 AM
DescriptionWeakness
Jan 11, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·11:40 PM
Description
Sep 4, 2025
Data Sourced
via Microsoft·03:28 AM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via Microsoft·03:28 AM
Affected Software
Updated
via Microsoft·03:28 AM
DescriptionSeverity

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

Free Weekly Intel

Don't miss critical vulnerabilities

Join thousands of security professionals who receive our weekly digest of trending CVEs, zero-days, and exploited vulnerabilities.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is CVE-2020-14378?

CVE-2020-14378 is an integer underflow vulnerability in dpdk versions before 18.11.10 and before 19.11.5 in the `move_desc` function.

2

What is the severity of CVE-2020-14378?

CVE-2020-14378 has a severity level of 3.3 (low).

3

How can CVE-2020-14378 be exploited?

An attacker could cause the `move_desc` function of dpdk to get stuck in a 4,294,967,295-count iteration loop.

4

Which versions of dpdk are affected by CVE-2020-14378?

dpdk versions before 18.11.10 and before 19.11.5 are affected by CVE-2020-14378.

5

How can I fix CVE-2020-14378?

To fix CVE-2020-14378, update dpdk to version 18.11.10 or later, or version 19.11.5 or later.

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