# CVE-2020-6173: Client Denial of Service on TUF


- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 14 Jan 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-2828-9vh6-9m6j, PYSEC-2020-146

## What is CVE-2020-6173?

CVE-2020-6173 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 14 Jan 2020. 

### Official description

TUF (aka The Update Framework) 0.7.2 through 0.12.1 allows Uncontrolled Resource Consumption.

Weakness: CWE-400 (Uncontrolled Resource Consumption)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-6173?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including tuf. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `tuf` | PyPI | From 0.7.2 | 0.12.2 |
| `tuf` | PyPI | From 0.7.2 | 0.12.2 |
| `tuf` | PyPI | From 0.7.5 | 0.12.2 |

Products: Linuxfoundation the Update Framework.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-6173?

Upgrade tuf to 0.12.2 or later.

## Is CVE-2020-6173 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-6173 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2020-6174](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-6174/): Incorrect threshold signature computation in TUF (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2020-15163](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-15163/): Invalid root may become trusted root in The Update Framework (TUF) (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2021-41131](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-41131/): Client metadata path-traversal in python-tuf (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-6173 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-6173 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 14 Jan 2020. 
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-6173 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- tuf (PyPI): affected from 0.7.2; fixed in 0.12.2
- tuf (PyPI): affected from 0.7.2; fixed in 0.12.2
- tuf (PyPI): affected from 0.7.5; fixed in 0.12.2

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-2020-6173/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-6173/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-6173
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-6173
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-6173

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-6173/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.