# CVE-2020-7457: Race condition in FreeBSD

> A race condition in the FreeBSD kernel's IPv6 socket option handler allows local attackers to trigger use-after-free, potentially leading to code execution.

- **Severity:** High 8.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 9 Jul 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-jhq7-2279-q727

## What is CVE-2020-7457?

CVE-2020-7457 is a high-severity vulnerability in Freebsd Freebsd, published on 9 Jul 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In FreeBSD 12.1-STABLE before r359565, 12.1-RELEASE before p7, 11.4-STABLE before r362975, 11.4-RELEASE before p1, and 11.3-RELEASE before p11, missing synchronization in the IPV6_2292PKTOPTIONS socket option set handler contained a race condition allowing a malicious application to modify memory after being freed, possibly resulting in code execution.

Weakness: CWE-662 (Improper Synchronization), CWE-416 (Use After Free), CWE-362 (Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-7457?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Freebsd Freebsd.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-7457?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-7457 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-7457 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2020-7457 exists.

Public exploit code:

- FreeBSD ip6_setpktopt Use-After-Free Privilege Escalation (metasploit)

## Other vulnerabilities in Freebsd Freebsd

- [CVE-2018-17160](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-17160/): Memory corruption in FreeBSD (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2014-3954](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-3954/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2006-4304](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-4304/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2006-0226](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-0226/): Integer overflow in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2004-0002](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2004-0002/): Denial of service in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-7457 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-7457 is a high-severity vulnerability in Freebsd Freebsd, published on 9 Jul 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2020-7457 exists.

Affected product: Freebsd Freebsd. 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-2020-7457/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7457/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-7457
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-7457
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-7457

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7457/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.