# CVE-2020-10701: Missing authorization in libvirt

> Unprivileged users with read-only access can set QEMU guest agent timeouts to zero, causing command failures and denial of service.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 27 May 2021
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** AZL-6657, DEBIAN-CVE-2020-10701, GHSA-rhq9-pr9r-9x2j

## What is CVE-2020-10701?

CVE-2020-10701 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Redhat Libvirt, published on 27 May 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A missing authorization flaw was found in the libvirt API responsible for changing the QEMU agent response timeout. This flaw allows read-only connections to adjust the time that libvirt waits for the QEMU guest agent to respond to agent commands. Depending on the timeout value that is set, this flaw can make guest agent commands fail because the agent cannot respond in time. Unprivileged users with a read-only connection could abuse this flaw to set the response timeout for all guest agent messages to zero, potentially leading to a denial of service. This flaw affects libvirt versions before 6.2.0.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-10701?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Redhat Libvirt.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-10701?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2020-10701 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-10701 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Redhat Libvirt

- [CVE-2013-4401](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-4401/): Missing authorization in n/a (high 8.5)
- [CVE-2017-2635](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-2635/): Null dereference in libvirt (high 7.7)
- [CVE-2013-4400](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-4400/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2013-4291](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-4291/): Privilege escalation in n/a (medium 6.9)
- [CVE-2011-1146](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-1146/): Missing authorization in n/a (medium 6.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-10701 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-10701 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Redhat Libvirt, published on 27 May 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-10701 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Redhat Libvirt. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-10701/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-10701/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-10701
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-10701
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-10701

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-10701/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.