# CVE-2020-14004: Path traversal in n/a

> An unprivileged user can exploit symlink handling in the prepare-dirs script to modify permissions of arbitrary files, potentially leading to privilege escalation.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 12 Jun 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2020-14004, GHSA-xqhq-m8mv-g9wp, UBUNTU-CVE-2020-14004, openSUSE-SU-2020:1820-1

## What is CVE-2020-14004?

CVE-2020-14004 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Opensuse Backports Sle, published on 12 Jun 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An issue was discovered in Icinga2 before v2.12.0-rc1. The prepare-dirs script (run as part of the icinga2 systemd service) executes chmod 2750 /run/icinga2/cmd. /run/icinga2 is under control of an unprivileged user by default. If /run/icinga2/cmd is a symlink, then it will by followed and arbitrary files can be changed to mode 2750 by the unprivileged icinga2 user.

Weakness: CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-14004?

It affects 3 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `icinga2` | SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP1 | All versions | 2.12.1-bp152.4.3.1 |
| `icinga2` | SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP2 | All versions | 2.12.1-bp152.4.3.1 |
| `icinga2` | openSUSE:Leap 15.1 | All versions | 2.12.1-bp152.4.3.1 |
| `icinga2` | openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | All versions | 2.12.1-bp152.4.3.1 |

Products: Icinga Icinga, Opensuse Backports Sle, Opensuse Leap.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-14004?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2020-14004 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-14004 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Opensuse Backports Sle

- [CVE-2025-48057](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-48057/): Icinga 2 certificate renewal might incorrectly renew an invalid certificate (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2020-29663](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-29663/): Security feature bypass in n/a (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2024-24820](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-24820/): Icinga Director configuration is susceptible to Cross-Site Request Forgery (high 8.3)
- [CVE-2018-6535](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-6535/): Information disclosure in n/a (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2018-6533](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-6533/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-14004 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-14004 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Opensuse Backports Sle, published on 12 Jun 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-14004 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Opensuse Backports Sle. 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-2020-14004/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-14004/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-14004
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-14004
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-14004

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-14004/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.