medium
6.4
CWE
190 119 362
Advisory Published
CVE Published
CVE Published
Updated

CVE-2020-15707: GRUB2 contained integer overflows when handling the initrd command, leading to a heap-based buffer overflow.

First published: Wed Jul 29 2020(Updated: )

Integer overflows were discovered in the functions grub_cmd_initrd and grub_initrd_init in the efilinux component of GRUB2, as shipped in Debian, Red Hat, and Ubuntu (the functionality is not included in GRUB2 upstream), leading to a heap-based buffer overflow. These could be triggered by an extremely large number of arguments to the initrd command on 32-bit architectures, or a crafted filesystem with very large files on any architecture. An attacker could use this to execute arbitrary code and bypass UEFI Secure Boot restrictions. This issue affects GRUB2 version 2.04 and prior versions.

Credit: security@ubuntu.com

Affected SoftwareAffected VersionHow to fix
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
1:2.02-0.86.el7
redhat/shim<0:15-8.el7
0:15-8.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
debian/grub2
2.06-3~deb11u6
2.06-13+deb12u1
2.12-5
GRUB 2<=2.04
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Atomic Host
redhat openshift container platform=4.0
Red Hat Enterprise Linux=7.0
Red Hat Enterprise Linux=8.0
Microsoft Windows 10
Microsoft Windows 10=1607
Microsoft Windows 10=1709
Microsoft Windows 10=1803
Microsoft Windows 10=1809
Microsoft Windows 10=1903
Microsoft Windows 10=1909
Microsoft Windows 10=2004
Microsoft Windows 8.1
Microsoft Windows RT
Microsoft Windows Server 2012 x64
Microsoft Windows Server 2012 x64=r2
Microsoft Windows Server 2016
Microsoft Windows Server 2016=1903
Microsoft Windows Server 2016=1909
Microsoft Windows Server 2016=2004
Microsoft Windows Server 2019
Ubuntu Linux=14.04
Ubuntu Linux=16.04
Ubuntu Linux=18.04
Ubuntu Linux=20.04
Debian GNU/Linux=10.0
openSUSE=15.1
openSUSE=15.2
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server=11
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server=12
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server=15
NetApp Active IQ Unified Manager for VMware vSphere>=9.5
Ubuntu=14.04
Ubuntu=16.04
Ubuntu=18.04
Ubuntu=20.04
Debian=10.0

Remedy

https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/ADV200011

Never miss a vulnerability like this again

Sign up to SecAlerts for real-time vulnerability data matched to your software, aggregated from hundreds of sources.

Read MoreStart Free Trial

Reference Links

Parent vulnerabilities

(Appears in the following advisories)

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the severity of CVE-2020-15707?

    CVE-2020-15707 has a high severity rating due to its potential to cause heap-based buffer overflows.

  • How do I fix CVE-2020-15707?

    To fix CVE-2020-15707, update affected packages such as grub2 to the recommended versions provided by your distribution.

  • Which products are affected by CVE-2020-15707?

    CVE-2020-15707 affects various systems using GRUB2, including Debian, Red Hat, and Ubuntu distributions.

  • What types of vulnerabilities does CVE-2020-15707 involve?

    CVE-2020-15707 involves integer overflows that can lead to heap-based buffer overflow vulnerabilities.

  • Is there a known exploit for CVE-2020-15707?

    As of now, specific exploits for CVE-2020-15707 have not been publicly disclosed, but the vulnerability itself poses a significant risk.

Company

Resources

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.
© 2025 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203