CVE-2020-16125: GHSL-2020-202: Local Privilege Escalation (LPE) in Ubuntu gdm3 - CVE-2020-16125
gdm3 can be tricked into launching gnome-initial-setup, enabling an unprivileged user to create a new user account for themselves. The new account is a member of the sudo group, so this enables the unprivileged user to obtain admin privileges.
Other sources
gdm3 versions before 3.36.2 or 3.38.2 would start gnome-initial-setup if gdm3 can't contact the accountservice service via dbus in a timely manner; on Ubuntu (and potentially derivatives) this could be be chained with an additional issue that could allow a local user to create a new privileged account.
— MITRE
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2020-16125?
CVE-2020-16125 is a vulnerability in gdm3 versions before 3.36.2 or 3.38.2 that allows the gnome-initial-setup to start if gdm3 can't contact the accountservice service via dbus in a timely manner.
What is the severity of CVE-2020-16125?
CVE-2020-16125 has a severity rating of 6.8 (high).
Which software versions are affected by CVE-2020-16125?
The affected software versions for CVE-2020-16125 are gdm3 versions before 3.36.2 and versions between 3.38.0 and 3.38.2.
How can this vulnerability be exploited?
This vulnerability can be exploited by a local user to create a new privileged account.
Are there any references for CVE-2020-16125?
Yes, you can find references for CVE-2020-16125 at the following links: [Link 1](https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gdm3/+bug/1900314), [Link 2](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gdm/-/issues/642), [Link 3](https://securitylab.github.com/advisories/GHSL-2020-202-gdm3-LPE-unresponsive-accounts-daemon).