CVE-2020-14362: X.Org Server XRecordRegisterClients Integer Underflow Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Published Aug 17, 2020
·
Updated

A flaw was found in X.Org Server before xorg-x11-server 1.20.9. An Integer underflow leading to heap-buffer overflow may lead to a privilege escalation vulnerability. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability.

Other sources

A flaw was found in X.Org Server. An Integer underflow leading to heap-buffer overflow was found in XRecordRegisterClients may lead to a privilege escalation vulnerability.

Red Hat

This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of X.Org Server. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the handling of XRecordRegisterClients requests. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in an integer underflow before writing to memory. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute code in the context of root.

ZDI

X.Org server could allow a local authenticated attacker to gain elevated privileges on the system, caused by an integer underflow in XRecordRegisterClients. By sending a specially-crafted request, an authenticated attacker could exploit this vulnerability to gain elevated privileges.

IBM

Affected Software

12 affected componentsFixes available
redhat/xorg-x11-server<1.20.9
1.20.9
IBM Cloud Pak for Security (CP4S)<=1.7.2.0
IBM Cloud Pak for Security (CP4S)<=1.7.1.0
IBM Cloud Pak for Security (CP4S)<=1.7.0.0
X.Org xorg-server<1.20.9
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=14.04
redhat Enterprise Linux=6.0
redhat Enterprise Linux=7.0
redhat Enterprise Linux=8.0
X.Org Server
X.Org X Server<1.20.9
debian/xorg-server
2:1.20.11-1+deb11u132:1.20.11-1+deb11u172:21.1.7-3+deb12u102:21.1.7-3+deb12u112:21.1.16-1.32:21.1.16-1.3+deb13u12:21.1.18-22:21.1.20-1

Event History

Sep 15, 2020
CVE Published
via MITRE·12:00 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·12:00 AM
DescriptionWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·07:15 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Jan 11, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·11:40 PM
Description
Feb 26, 2025
Advisory Published
via ZDI·07:39 PM
Aug 29, 2025
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·02:30 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Oct 30, 2025
Data Sourced
via Debian·07:01 AM
DescriptionAffected Software

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is CVE-2020-14362?

CVE-2020-14362 is a vulnerability that allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of X.Org Server.

2

How severe is CVE-2020-14362?

CVE-2020-14362 has a severity rating of 7.8 (High).

3

How do I fix CVE-2020-14362?

To fix CVE-2020-14362, update X.Org Server to version 2:1.19.6-1ubuntu4.5 or apply the appropriate patch from the vendor.

4

Which software is affected by CVE-2020-14362?

X.Org Server versions 2:1.19.6-1ubuntu4.5 and earlier are affected by CVE-2020-14362.

5

Where can I find more information about CVE-2020-14362?

You can find more information about CVE-2020-14362 on the Red Hat Bugzilla, X.Org Server Announcement, and Ubuntu Security Notices websites.

Contact

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