# CVE-2024-20506: ClamAV Privilege Handling Escalation Vulnerability

> A local authenticated attacker can corrupt critical system files by exploiting a symlink vulnerability in ClamAV's log handling, leading to privilege escalation.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/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:** 4 Sep 2024
- **Updated:** 3 Nov 2025
- **Also known as:** AZL-48624, AZL-48665, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-20506, GHSA-h5fr-q576-q7rv, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-20506

## What is CVE-2024-20506?

CVE-2024-20506 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Clamav Clamav, published on 4 Sep 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A vulnerability in the ClamD service module of Clam AntiVirus (ClamAV) versions 1.4.0, 1.3.2 and prior versions, all 1.2.x versions, 1.0.6 and prior versions, all 0.105.x versions, all 0.104.x versions, and 0.103.11 and all prior versions could allow an authenticated, local attacker to corrupt critical system files.

The vulnerability is due to allowing the ClamD process to write to its log file while privileged without checking if the logfile has been replaced with a symbolic link. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability if they replace the ClamD log file with a symlink to a critical system file and then find a way to restart the ClamD process. An exploit could allow the attacker to corrupt a critical system file by appending ClamD log messages after restart.

Weakness: CWE-754 (Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-20506?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Clamav Clamav.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-20506?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2024-20506 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-20506 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Clamav Clamav

- [CVE-2010-0098](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-0098/): Security feature bypass in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2009-1372](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-1372/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2008-3914](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-3914/): Denial of service in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2008-0728](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-0728/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2006-1615](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-1615/): Other in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-20506 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-20506 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Clamav Clamav, published on 4 Sep 2024. 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-2024-20506 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Clamav Clamav. 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-2024-20506/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-20506/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-20506
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-20506
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-20506

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-20506/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.