# CVE-2020-10703: Null dereference in libvirt

> Unprivileged users can crash the libvirt daemon via a null pointer dereference in storage pool fetching, causing 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:** 2 Jun 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2020-10703, GHSA-c69p-28r6-q952, SUSE-SU-2020:1250-1, SUSE-SU-2020:1289-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2020-10703

## What is CVE-2020-10703?

CVE-2020-10703 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Redhat Libvirt, published on 2 Jun 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A NULL pointer dereference was found in the libvirt API responsible introduced in upstream version 3.10.0, and fixed in libvirt 6.0.0, for fetching a storage pool based on its target path. In more detail, this flaw affects storage pools created without a target path such as network-based pools like gluster and RBD. Unprivileged users with a read-only connection could abuse this flaw to crash the libvirt daemon, resulting in a potential denial of service.

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-10703?

It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `libvirt` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-ESPOS | All versions | 4.0.0-9.32.1 |
| `libvirt` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-LTSS | All versions | 4.0.0-9.32.1 |
| `libvirt` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP4 | All versions | 4.0.0-8.20.2 |
| `libvirt` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15-LTSS | All versions | 4.0.0-9.32.1 |
| `libvirt` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP4 | All versions | 4.0.0-8.20.2 |
| `libvirt` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 | All versions | 4.0.0-9.32.1 |
| `libvirt` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP4 | All versions | 4.0.0-8.20.2 |

Products: Redhat Libvirt.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-10703?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2020-10703 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-10703 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-2020-10703 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-10703 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Redhat Libvirt, published on 2 Jun 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-10703 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-2020-10703/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-10703/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-10703
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-10703
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-10703

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-10703/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.