CVE-2020-12062
** DISPUTED ** The scp client in OpenSSH 8.2 incorrectly sends duplicate responses to the server...
The scp client in OpenSSH 8.2 incorrectly sends duplicate responses to the server upon a utimes system call failure, which allows a malicious unprivileged user on the remote server to overwrite arbitrary files in the client's download directory by creating a crafted subdirectory anywhere on the remote server. The victim must use the command scp -rp to download a file hierarchy containing, anywhere inside, this crafted subdirectory. NOTE: the vendor points out that "this attack can achieve no more than a hostile peer is already able to achieve within the scp protocol" and "utimes does not fail under normal circumstances.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
7.5
The scp client in OpenSSH 8.2 incorrectly sends duplicate responses to the server upon a utimes system call failure, which allows a malicious unprivileged user on the remote server to overwrite arbitrary files in the client's download directory by creating a crafted subdirectory anywhere on the remote server. The victim must use the command scp -rp to download a file hierarchy containing, anywhere inside, this crafted subdirectory. NOTE: the vendor points out that "this attack can achieve no more than a hostile peer is already able to achieve within the scp protocol" and "utimes does not fail under normal circumstances.
- Record
CVE-2020-12062- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - CVSS 2.0
- 5.0 Medium
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-20
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
The scp client in OpenSSH 8.2 incorrectly sends duplicate responses to the server upon a utimes system call failure, which allows a malicious unprivileged user on the remote server to overwrite arbitrary files in the client's download directory by creating a crafted subdirectory anywhere on the remote server. The victim must use the command scp -rp to download a file hierarchy containing, anywhere inside, this crafted subdirectory. NOTE: the vendor points out that "this attack can achieve no more than a hostile peer is already able to achieve within the scp protocol" and "utimes does not fail under normal circumstances.
- Record
CVE-2020-12062- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-4378 No score
The scp client in OpenSSH 8.2 incorrectly sends duplicate responses to the server upon a utimes system call failure, which allows a malicious unprivileged user on the remote server to overwrite arbitrary files in the client's download directory by creating a crafted subdirectory anywhere on the remote server. The victim must use the command scp -rp to download a file hierarchy containing, anywhere inside, this crafted subdirectory. NOTE: the vendor points out that "this attack can achieve no more than a hostile peer is already able to achieve within the scp protocol" and "utimes does not fail under normal circumstances.
- Record
EUVD-2020-4378- Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-843q-w84q-c7qg
7.5
** DISPUTED ** The scp client in OpenSSH 8.2 incorrectly sends duplicate responses to the server...
** DISPUTED ** The scp client in OpenSSH 8.2 incorrectly sends duplicate responses to the server upon a utimes system call failure, which allows a malicious unprivileged user on the remote server to overwrite arbitrary files in the client's download directory by creating a crafted subdirectory anywhere on the remote server. The victim must use the command scp -rp to download a file hierarchy containing, anywhere inside, this crafted subdirectory. NOTE: the vendor points out that "this attack can achieve no more than a hostile peer is already able to achieve within the scp protocol" and "utimes does not fail under normal circumstances."
- Record
GHSA-843q-w84q-c7qg- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-20
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVBELL-CVE-2020-12062
7.5
CVE-2020-12062 does not affect BellSoft software
- Record
BELL-CVE-2020-12062- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
7.5
The scp client in OpenSSH 8.2 incorrectly sends duplicate responses to the server upon a utimes system call failure, which allows a malicious unprivileged user on the remote server to overwrite arbitrary files in the client's download directory by creating a crafted subdirectory anywhere on the remote server. The victim must use the command scp -rp to download a file hierarchy containing, anywhere inside, this crafted subdirectory. NOTE: the vendor points out that "this attack can achieve no more than a hostile peer is already able to achieve within the scp protocol" and "utimes does not fail under normal circumstances.
- Record
CVE-2020-12062- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2020-12062
7.5
The scp client in OpenSSH 8.2 incorrectly sends duplicate responses to the server upon a utimes system call failure, which allows a malicious unprivileged user on the remote server to overwrite arbitrary files in the client's download directory by creating a crafted subdirectory anywhere on the remote server. The victim must use the command scp -rp to download a file hierarchy containing, anywhere inside, this crafted subdirectory. NOTE: the vendor points out that "this attack can achieve no more than a hostile peer is already able to achieve within the scp protocol" and "utimes does not fail under normal circumstances.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2020-12062- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2020-12062
7.5
The scp client in OpenSSH 8.2 incorrectly sends duplicate responses to the server upon a utimes system call failure, which allows a malicious unprivileged user on the remote server to overwrite arbitrary files in the client's download directory by creating a crafted subdirectory anywhere on the remote server. The victim must use the command scp -rp to download a file hierarchy containing, anywhere inside, this crafted subdirectory. NOTE: the vendor points out that "this attack can achieve no more than a hostile peer is already able to achieve within the scp protocol" and "utimes does not fail under normal circumstances.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2020-12062- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
opensshDebian:12 |
before 1:8.3p1-1 | 1:8.3p1-1 |
opensshDebian:13 |
before 1:8.3p1-1 | 1:8.3p1-1 |
opensshDebian:14 |
before 1:8.3p1-1 | 1:8.3p1-1 |
opensshUbuntu:Pro:14.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1:6.2p2-61:6.2p2-6ubuntu11:6.4p1-11:6.4p1-21:6.5p1-1 Show 22 moreShow less1:6.5p1-21:6.5p1-31:6.5p1-41:6.5p1-61:6.6p1-11:6.6p1-21:6.6p1-2ubuntu11:6.6p1-2ubuntu21:6.6p1-2ubuntu2.21:6.6p1-2ubuntu2.31:6.6p1-2ubuntu2.41:6.6p1-2ubuntu2.61:6.6p1-2ubuntu2.71:6.6p1-2ubuntu2.81:6.6p1-2ubuntu2.101:6.6p1-2ubuntu2.111:6.6p1-2ubuntu2.121:6.6p1-2ubuntu2.131:6.6p1-2ubuntu2.13+esm11:6.6p1-2ubuntu2.13+esm21:6.6p1-2ubuntu2.13+esm31:6.6p1-2ubuntu2.13+esm4 |
None known |
opensshUbuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1:6.9p1-21:6.9p1-31:7.1p1-11:7.1p1-31:7.1p1-4 Show 27 moreShow less1:7.1p1-61:7.1p2-11:7.1p2-21:7.2p1-11:7.2p2-11:7.2p2-21:7.2p2-31:7.2p2-41:7.2p2-4ubuntu11:7.2p2-4ubuntu2.11:7.2p2-4ubuntu2.21:7.2p2-4ubuntu2.41:7.2p2-4ubuntu2.51:7.2p2-4ubuntu2.61:7.2p2-4ubuntu2.71:7.2p2-4ubuntu2.81:7.2p2-4ubuntu2.101:7.2p2-4ubuntu2.10+esm11:7.2p2-4ubuntu2.10+esm21:7.2p2-4ubuntu2.10+esm31:7.2p2-4ubuntu2.10+esm41:7.2p2-4ubuntu2.10+esm51:7.2p2-4ubuntu2.10+esm61:7.2p2-4ubuntu2.10+esm71:7.2p2-4ubuntu2.10+esm81:7.2p2-4ubuntu2.10+esm91:7.2p2-4ubuntu2.10+esm10 |
None known |
opensshUbuntu:Pro:18.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1:7.5p1-101:7.6p1-41:7.6p1-4ubuntu0.11:7.6p1-4ubuntu0.21:7.6p1-4ubuntu0.3 Show 9 moreShow less1:7.6p1-4ubuntu0.51:7.6p1-4ubuntu0.61:7.6p1-4ubuntu0.71:7.6p1-4ubuntu0.7+esm11:7.6p1-4ubuntu0.7+esm21:7.6p1-4ubuntu0.7+esm31:7.6p1-4ubuntu0.7+esm41:7.6p1-4ubuntu0.7+esm51:7.6p1-4ubuntu0.7+esm6 |
None known |
openssh-ssh1Ubuntu:18.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1:7.5p1-81:7.5p1-91:7.5p1-9build11:7.5p1-10 |
None known |
opensshUbuntu:Pro:20.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1:8.0p1-6build11:8.1p1-11:8.1p1-51:8.2p1-41:8.2p1-4ubuntu0.1 Show 14 moreShow less1:8.2p1-4ubuntu0.21:8.2p1-4ubuntu0.31:8.2p1-4ubuntu0.41:8.2p1-4ubuntu0.51:8.2p1-4ubuntu0.71:8.2p1-4ubuntu0.81:8.2p1-4ubuntu0.91:8.2p1-4ubuntu0.101:8.2p1-4ubuntu0.111:8.2p1-4ubuntu0.121:8.2p1-4ubuntu0.131:8.2p1-4ubuntu0.13+esm11:8.2p1-4ubuntu0.13+esm21:8.2p1-4ubuntu0.13+esm3 |
None known |
openssh-ssh1Ubuntu:20.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1:7.5p1-11build1 |
None known |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2020-12062 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.5) in Openbsd Openssh, published June 1, 2020. Its validity is disputed. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 2.23%, the 82nd percentile. Fixed in openssh 1:8.3p1-1.
References
openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/05/27/1
openssh.com/txt/release-8.3
github.com/openssh/openssh-portable/commit/955854cafca88e0cdcd3d09ca1ad4ada465364a1
github.com/openssh/openssh-portable/commit/aad87b88fc2536b1ea023213729aaf4eaabe1894
cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-398330.html
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-12062