# CVE-2020-21583: Command injection in n/a

> Attackers can execute arbitrary commands and escalate privileges via the path parameter in the hwclock utility when setting the date.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.7 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 22 Aug 2023
- **Updated:** 20 Dec 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2020-21583, GHSA-c5mr-x8m3-hpc9, UBUNTU-CVE-2020-21583

## What is CVE-2020-21583?

CVE-2020-21583 is a medium-severity command injection vulnerability in n/a, published on 22 Aug 2023. 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 hwclock.13-v2.27 allows attackers to gain escalated privlidges or execute arbitrary commands via the path parameter when setting the date.

Weakness: CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-21583?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Kernel Util-Linux.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-21583?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2020-21583 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2020-21583 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2015-5224](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-5224/): Race condition in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-7738](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-7738/): Command injection in n/a (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2016-2779](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-2779/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2026-13595](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-13595/): Util-linux: util-linux: heap use-after-free in libblkid nested partition probing (medium 6.8)
- [CVE-2022-0563](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0563/): Information disclosure in util-linux (medium 5.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-21583 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-21583 is a medium-severity command injection vulnerability in n/a, published on 22 Aug 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2020-21583 exists.

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-2020-21583/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-21583/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-21583
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-21583
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-21583

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-21583/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.