CVE-2020-2016 Vulnerability Analysis & Exploit Details

CVE-2020-2016
Vulnerability Scoring

7.0
/10
High Risk

If left unpatched, CVE-2020-2016 could lead to major system disruptions or data loss.

Attack Complexity Details

  • Attack Complexity: High
    Exploits require significant effort and special conditions.
  • Attack Vector: Local
    Vulnerability requires local system access.
  • Privileges Required: Low
    Some privileges are necessary to exploit the vulnerability.
  • Scope: Unchanged
    Exploit remains within the originally vulnerable component.
  • User Interaction: None
    No user interaction is necessary for exploitation.

CVE-2020-2016 Details

Status: Analyzed

Last updated: 🕖 15 May 2020, 19:00 UTC
Originally published on: 🕖 13 May 2020, 19:15 UTC

Time between publication and last update: 1 days

CVSS Release: version 3

CVSS3 Source

nvd@nist.gov

CVSS3 Type

Primary

CVSS3 Vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVE-2020-2016 Vulnerability Summary

CVE-2020-2016: A race condition due to insecure creation of a file in a temporary directory vulnerability in PAN-OS allows for root privilege escalation from a limited linux user account. This allows an attacker who has escaped the restricted shell as a low privilege administrator, possibly by exploiting another vulnerability, to escalate privileges to become root user. This issue affects: PAN-OS 7.1 versions earlier than 7.1.26; PAN-OS 8.1 versions earlier than 8.1.13; PAN-OS 9.0 versions earlier than 9.0.6; All versions of PAN-OS 8.0.

Assessing the Risk of CVE-2020-2016

Access Complexity Graph

The exploitability of CVE-2020-2016 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).

Exploitability Analysis for CVE-2020-2016

This vulnerability, CVE-2020-2016, requires a high level of attack complexity and low privileges, making it difficult but not impossible to exploit. Organizations should ensure robust security configurations to mitigate risks.

Understanding AC and PR

A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.

Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.

Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.

CVSS Score Breakdown Chart

Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2020-2016, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.

CIA Impact Analysis

Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2020-2016, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.

  • Confidentiality: High
    Exploiting CVE-2020-2016 can result in unauthorized access to sensitive data, severely compromising data privacy.
  • Integrity: High
    CVE-2020-2016 could allow unauthorized modifications to data, potentially affecting system reliability and trust.
  • Availability: High
    CVE-2020-2016 can disrupt system operations, potentially causing complete denial of service (DoS).

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

The EPSS score estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the near future.

EPSS Score: 0.044% (probability of exploit)

EPSS Percentile: 15.33% (lower percentile = lower relative risk)
This vulnerability is less risky than approximately 84.67% of others.

CVE-2020-2016 References

External References

CWE Common Weakness Enumeration

CWE-377

CAPEC Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification

  • Explore for Predictable Temporary File Names CAPEC-149 An attacker explores a target to identify the names and locations of predictable temporary files for the purpose of launching further attacks against the target. This involves analyzing naming conventions and storage locations of the temporary files created by a target application. If an attacker can predict the names of temporary files they can use this information to mount other attacks, such as information gathering and symlink attacks.
  • Screen Temporary Files for Sensitive Information CAPEC-155 An adversary exploits the temporary, insecure storage of information by monitoring the content of files used to store temp data during an application's routine execution flow. Many applications use temporary files to accelerate processing or to provide records of state across multiple executions of the application. Sometimes, however, these temporary files may end up storing sensitive information. By screening an application's temporary files, an adversary might be able to discover such sensitive information. For example, web browsers often cache content to accelerate subsequent lookups. If the content contains sensitive information then the adversary could recover this from the web cache.

Vulnerable Configurations

  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.4:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.4:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.4-h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.4-h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.4:h2:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.4:h2:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.9:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.9:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.9:h4:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.9:h4:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.14:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.14:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.15:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.15:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.16:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.16:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.17:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.17:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.18:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.18:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.19:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.19:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.20:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.20:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.21:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.21:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.22:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.22:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.23:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.23:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.24:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.24:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.25:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:7.1.25:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.3:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.3:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.3:h4:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.3:h4:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.4:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.4:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.4:h2:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.4:h2:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.6:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.6:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.6:h3:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.6:h3:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.11:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.11:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.11:h1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.11:h1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.14:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.14:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.15:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.15:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.16:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.16:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.17:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.17:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.18:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.18:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.19:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.19:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.20:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.0.20:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.4:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.4:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.4:h2:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.4:h2:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.6:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.6:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.6:h2:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.6:h2:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.8:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.8:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.8:h4:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.8:h4:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.8:h5:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.8:h5:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:8.1.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:9.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:9.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:9.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:9.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:9.0.2:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:9.0.2:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:9.0.2:h4:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:9.0.2:h4:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:9.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:9.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:9.0.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:9.0.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:9.0.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os:9.0.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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