# CVE-2020-14339: Information disclosure in libvirt

> A libvirt flaw leaks a privileged device-mapper file descriptor to QEMU, allowing malicious guests to compromise the host system.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/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:** 3 Dec 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2020-14339, DEBIAN-CVE-2020-14339, GHSA-c772-g5j9-w9w8, OESA-2021-1010, SUSE-SU-2020:2233-1, SUSE-SU-2020:2237-1, SUSE-SU-2020:2269-1, openSUSE-SU-2020:1455-1

## What is CVE-2020-14339?

CVE-2020-14339 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux, published on 3 Dec 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A flaw was found in libvirt, where it leaked a file descriptor for `/dev/mapper/control` into the QEMU process. This file descriptor allows for privileged operations to happen against the device-mapper on the host. This flaw allows a malicious guest user or process to perform operations outside of their standard permissions, potentially causing serious damage to the host operating system. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to confidentiality, integrity, as well as system availability.

Weakness: CWE-772 (Missing Release of Resource after Effective Lifetime)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-14339?

It affects 2 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `libvirt` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP1 | All versions | 5.1.0-8.19.1 |
| `libvirt` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP2 | All versions | 6.0.0-13.3.1 |
| `libvirt` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Server Applications 15 SP1 | All versions | 5.1.0-8.19.1 |
| `libvirt` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Server Applications 15 SP2 | All versions | 6.0.0-13.3.1 |
| `libvirt` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 | All versions | 5.1.0-13.9.1 |
| `libvirt` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP5 | All versions | 5.1.0-13.9.1 |
| `libvirt` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5 | All versions | 5.1.0-13.9.1 |
| `libvirt` | openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | All versions | 6.0.0-lp152.9.3.1 |

Products: Redhat Enterprise Linux, Redhat Libvirt.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-14339?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2020-14339 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-14339 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Redhat Enterprise Linux

- [CVE-2018-14667](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-14667/): Red Hat JBoss RichFaces Framework Expression Language Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-20325](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20325/): Missing fixes for CVE-2021-40438 and CVE-2021-26691 in the versions of httpd, as shipped in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.5.0, causes a securit (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-25011](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-25011/): Memory corruption in libwebp (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-25014](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-25014/): Other in libwebp (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2014-3585](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-3585/): Supply chain in redhat-upgrade-tool (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-14339 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-14339 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux, published on 3 Dec 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-2020-14339 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Redhat Enterprise Linux. 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-2020-14339/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-14339/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-14339
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-14339
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-14339

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-14339/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.