# CVE-2020-15397: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Unprivileged users can execute arbitrary code as root by placing binaries in writable HylaFAX+ spool directories.

- **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:** 30 Jun 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2020-15397, GHSA-2fqh-mw2q-wr69, UBUNTU-CVE-2020-15397

## What is CVE-2020-15397?

CVE-2020-15397 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 30 Jun 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

HylaFAX+ through 7.0.2 and HylaFAX Enterprise have scripts that execute binaries from directories writable by unprivileged users (e.g., locations under /var/spool/hylafax that are writable by the uucp account). This allows these users to execute code in the context of the user calling these binaries (often root).

Weakness: CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-15397?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Hylafax\+ Project Hylafax\+, Ifax Hylafax Enterprise.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-15397?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2020-15397 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-15397 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-15397 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-15397 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 30 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-2020-15397 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. 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-2020-15397/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-15397/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-15397
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-15397
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-15397

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-15397/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.