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

Published Jul 29, 2020
·
Updated

Integer overflows were discovered in the functions grubcmdinitrd and grubinitrdinit 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.

Other sources

There are a few integer overflows in grub2 while handling several sizes related to initrd information. These could be triggered by a crafted filesystem with very large files.

Red Hat

Affected Software

61 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
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
GNU GRUB2<=2.04
redhat Enterprise Linux Atomic Host
redhat OpenShift Container Platform=4.0
redhat Enterprise Linux=7.0
redhat 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 8.1
Microsoft Windows Server 2012
Microsoft Windows Server 2012=r2
Microsoft Windows Server 2016
Microsoft Windows Server 2016=1903
Microsoft Windows Server 2016=1909
Microsoft Windows Server 2016=2004
Microsoft Windows Server 2019
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=14.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=16.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=20.04
Debian Debian Linux=10.0
openSUSE Leap=15.1
openSUSE Leap=15.2
SUSE SUSE Linux Enterprise Server=11
SUSE SUSE Linux Enterprise Server=12
SUSE SUSE Linux Enterprise Server=15
NetApp Active Iq Unified Manager Vmware Vsphere>=9.5
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
CVE Published
via MITRE·05:45 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·05:45 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·06:15 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Jan 11, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·11:43 PM
Description
Feb 24, 2026
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·06:22 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Data Sourced
via Debian·06:23 PM
DescriptionAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

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.

2

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.

3

Which products are affected by CVE-2020-15707?

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

4

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

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

5

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.

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