CVE-2018-20681
mate-screensaver before 1.20.2 in MATE Desktop Environment allows physically proximate attackers...
mate-screensaver before 1.20.2 in MATE Desktop Environment allows physically proximate attackers to view screen content and possibly control applications. By unplugging and re-plugging or power-cycling external output devices (such as additionally attached graphical outputs via HDMI, VGA, DVI, etc.) the content of a screensaver-locked session can be revealed. In some scenarios, the attacker can execute applications, such as by clicking with a mouse.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Physical
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
6.1
mate-screensaver before 1.20.2 in MATE Desktop Environment allows physically proximate attackers to view screen content and possibly control applications. By unplugging and re-plugging or power-cycling external output devices (such as additionally attached graphical outputs via HDMI, VGA, DVI, etc.) the content of a screensaver-locked session can be revealed. In some scenarios, the attacker can execute applications, such as by clicking with a mouse.
- Record
CVE-2018-20681- CVSS 3.0
- 6.1 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N - CVSS 2.0
- 3.6 Low
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-200
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
mate-screensaver before 1.20.2 in MATE Desktop Environment allows physically proximate attackers to view screen content and possibly control applications. By unplugging and re-plugging or power-cycling external output devices (such as additionally attached graphical outputs via HDMI, VGA, DVI, etc.) the content of a screensaver-locked session can be revealed. In some scenarios, the attacker can execute applications, such as by clicking with a mouse.
- Record
CVE-2018-20681- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2018-13229 No score
mate-screensaver before 1.20.2 in MATE Desktop Environment allows physically proximate attackers to view screen content and possibly control applications. By unplugging and re-plugging or power-cycling external output devices (such as additionally attached graphical outputs via HDMI, VGA, DVI, etc.) the content of a screensaver-locked session can be revealed. In some scenarios, the attacker can execute applications, such as by clicking with a mouse.
- Record
EUVD-2018-13229- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-wcwv-5qmw-xfpj
6.1
mate-screensaver before 1.20.2 in MATE Desktop Environment allows physically proximate attackers...
mate-screensaver before 1.20.2 in MATE Desktop Environment allows physically proximate attackers to view screen content and possibly control applications. By unplugging and re-plugging or power-cycling external output devices (such as additionally attached graphical outputs via HDMI, VGA, DVI, etc.) the content of a screensaver-locked session can be revealed. In some scenarios, the attacker can execute applications, such as by clicking with a mouse.
- Record
GHSA-wcwv-5qmw-xfpj- CVSS 3.0
- 6.1 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-200
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
6.1
mate-screensaver before 1.20.2 in MATE Desktop Environment allows physically proximate attackers to view screen content and possibly control applications. By unplugging and re-plugging or power-cycling external output devices (such as additionally attached graphical outputs via HDMI, VGA, DVI, etc.) the content of a screensaver-locked session can be revealed. In some scenarios, the attacker can execute applications, such as by clicking with a mouse.
- Record
CVE-2018-20681- CVSS 3.0
- 6.1 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2018-20681
6.1
mate-screensaver before 1.20.2 in MATE Desktop Environment allows physically proximate attackers to view screen content and possibly control applications. By unplugging and re-plugging or power-cycling external output devices (such as additionally attached graphical outputs via HDMI, VGA, DVI, etc.) the content of a screensaver-locked session can be revealed. In some scenarios, the attacker can execute applications, such as by clicking with a mouse.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2018-20681- CVSS 3.0
- 6.1 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2018-20681
6.1
mate-screensaver before 1.20.2 in MATE Desktop Environment allows physically proximate attackers to view screen content and possibly control applications. By unplugging and re-plugging or power-cycling external output devices (such as additionally attached graphical outputs via HDMI, VGA, DVI, etc.) the content of a screensaver-locked session can be revealed. In some scenarios, the attacker can execute applications, such as by clicking with a mouse.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2018-20681- CVSS 3.0
- 6.1 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
mate-screensaverDebian:12 |
before 1.20.2-1 | 1.20.2-1 |
mate-screensaverDebian:13 |
before 1.20.2-1 | 1.20.2-1 |
mate-screensaverDebian:14 |
before 1.20.2-1 | 1.20.2-1 |
mate-screensaverUbuntu:16.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1.10.2-11.12.0-1 |
None known |
mate-screensaverUbuntu:18.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1.18.1-2ubuntu01.18.2-11.19.1-0ubuntu11.19.1-0ubuntu21.20.0-0ubuntu11.20.0-1 |
None known |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2018-20681 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.1) in Mate-desktop Mate-screensaver, published January 9, 2019. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.58%, the 48th percentile. Fixed in mate-screensaver 1.20.2-1.
References
github.com/mate-desktop/mate-screensaver/pull/167
github.com/mate-desktop/mate-screensaver/issues/170
github.com/mate-desktop/mate-screensaver/issues/152
github.com/mate-desktop/mate-screensaver/issues/155
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-20681
github.com/advisories/GHSA-wcwv-5qmw-xfpj
security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2018-20681
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2018-20681
cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-20681