# CVE-2020-1712: Use after free in systemd

> A local unprivileged attacker can exploit a heap use-after-free in systemd to crash services or execute code and elevate privileges via crafted dbus messages.

- **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:** 31 Mar 2020
- **Updated:** 14 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2020-1712, DLA-3063-1, GHSA-wggx-8wf7-vg3g, RHSA-2020:0564, RHSA-2020:0575, SUSE-RU-2020:0793-1, SUSE-SU-2020:0331-1, SUSE-SU-2020:0353-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2020-1712

## What is CVE-2020-1712?

CVE-2020-1712 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 31 Mar 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A heap use-after-free vulnerability was found in systemd before version v245-rc1, where asynchronous Polkit queries are performed while handling dbus messages. A local unprivileged attacker can abuse this flaw to crash systemd services or potentially execute code and elevate their privileges, by sending specially crafted dbus messages.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-1712?

It affects 7 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `systemd` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-18.el8_1.4 |
| `systemd-container` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-18.el8_1.4 |
| `systemd-container-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-18.el8_1.4 |
| `systemd-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-18.el8_1.4 |
| `systemd-debugsource` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-18.el8_1.4 |
| `systemd-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-18.el8_1.4 |
| `systemd-journal-remote` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-18.el8_1.4 |
| `systemd-journal-remote-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-18.el8_1.4 |
| `systemd-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-18.el8_1.4 |
| `systemd-libs-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-18.el8_1.4 |
| `systemd-pam` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-18.el8_1.4 |
| `systemd-pam-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-18.el8_1.4 |
| `systemd-tests` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-18.el8_1.4 |
| `systemd-tests-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-18.el8_1.4 |
| `systemd-udev` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-18.el8_1.4 |
| `systemd-udev-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-18.el8_1.4 |
| `systemd` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::baseos | All versions | 0:239-13.el8_0.7 |
| `systemd-container` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::baseos | All versions | 0:239-13.el8_0.7 |
| `systemd-container-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::baseos | All versions | 0:239-13.el8_0.7 |
| `systemd-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::baseos | All versions | 0:239-13.el8_0.7 |
| `systemd-debugsource` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::baseos | All versions | 0:239-13.el8_0.7 |
| `systemd-devel` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::baseos | All versions | 0:239-13.el8_0.7 |
| `systemd-journal-remote` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::baseos | All versions | 0:239-13.el8_0.7 |
| `systemd-journal-remote-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::baseos | All versions | 0:239-13.el8_0.7 |
| `systemd-libs` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::baseos | All versions | 0:239-13.el8_0.7 |
| `systemd-libs-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::baseos | All versions | 0:239-13.el8_0.7 |
| `systemd-pam` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::baseos | All versions | 0:239-13.el8_0.7 |
| `systemd-pam-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::baseos | All versions | 0:239-13.el8_0.7 |
| `systemd-tests` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::baseos | All versions | 0:239-13.el8_0.7 |
| `systemd-tests-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::baseos | All versions | 0:239-13.el8_0.7 |
| `systemd-udev` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::baseos | All versions | 0:239-13.el8_0.7 |
| `systemd-udev-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::baseos | All versions | 0:239-13.el8_0.7 |
| `systemd` | SUSE:Enterprise Storage 5 | All versions | 228-150.82.1 |
| `systemd` | SUSE:HPE Helion OpenStack 8 | All versions | 228-150.82.1 |
| `systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP4 | All versions | 228-150.82.1 |
| `systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP1 | All versions | 234-24.46.1 |
| `systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-BCL | All versions | 228-150.82.1 |
| `systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-LTSS | All versions | 228-150.82.1 |
| `systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3-BCL | All versions | 228-150.82.1 |
| `systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3-LTSS | All versions | 228-150.82.1 |

Products: Debian Debian Linux, Redhat Ceph Storage, Redhat Discovery, Redhat Enterprise Linux, Redhat Migration Toolkit, Redhat Openshift Container Platform, Systemd Project Systemd.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-1712?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2020-1712 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-1712 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

-  CVE-2020-1712 is a High-severity heap use-after-free vulnerability (CWE-416) in systemd prior to version v245-rc1. Carrying a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8 High, it occurs during asynchronous Polkit queries while handling dbus messages. A local unprivileged attacker can exploit this flaw to crash systemd services or execute code to elevate privileges (github_poc): https://github.com/davidajagbe/Vulnerability-assessment

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-1712 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-1712 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 31 Mar 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-2020-1712 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Debian Debian 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-2020-1712/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-1712/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-1712
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-1712
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-1712

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-1712/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.