CVE-2020-36254 Path traversal in n/a

High 8.1 Published 25 Feb 2021 Updated 3 Dec 2025

Dropbear SSH server mishandles specific filenames, allowing attackers to potentially read or modify files outside intended directories.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: Not needed
Attackable: Over the internet
Victim action needed: Not needed
Fix: Available

What is CVE-2020-36254?

CVE-2020-36254 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in n/a, published on 25 Feb 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

Official description

scp.c in Dropbear before 2020.79 mishandles the filename of . or an empty filename, a related issue to CVE-2018-20685.

Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-36254?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Dropbear Ssh Project Dropbear Ssh.

How do I fix CVE-2020-36254?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

Upgrade, and resolve every user-supplied path against an allowed base folder before opening it. More about Path traversal.

Is CVE-2020-36254 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-36254 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Sources

Also known as ALPINE-CVE-2020-36254, DEBIAN-CVE-2020-36254, GHSA-36m7-j2mr-5864, UBUNTU-CVE-2020-36254.