CVE-2020-13696
An issue was discovered in LinuxTV xawtv before 3.107. The function dev_open() in v4l-conf.c does...
An issue was discovered in LinuxTV xawtv before 3.107. The function dev_open() in v4l-conf.c does not perform sufficient checks to prevent an unprivileged caller of the program from opening unintended filesystem paths. This allows a local attacker with access to the v4l-conf setuid-root program to test for the existence of arbitrary files and to trigger an open on arbitrary files with mode O_RDWR. To achieve this, relative path components need to be added to the device path, as demonstrated by a v4l-conf -c /dev/../root/.bash_history command.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
4.4
An issue was discovered in LinuxTV xawtv before 3.107. The function dev_open() in v4l-conf.c does not perform sufficient checks to prevent an unprivileged caller of the program from opening unintended filesystem paths. This allows a local attacker with access to the v4l-conf setuid-root program to test for the existence of arbitrary files and to trigger an open on arbitrary files with mode O_RDWR. To achieve this, relative path components need to be added to the device path, as demonstrated by a v4l-conf -c /dev/../root/.bash_history command.
- Record
CVE-2020-13696- CVSS 3.1
- 4.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - CVSS 2.0
- 3.6 Low
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-863
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
An issue was discovered in LinuxTV xawtv before 3.107. The function dev_open() in v4l-conf.c does not perform sufficient checks to prevent an unprivileged caller of the program from opening unintended filesystem paths. This allows a local attacker with access to the v4l-conf setuid-root program to test for the existence of arbitrary files and to trigger an open on arbitrary files with mode O_RDWR. To achieve this, relative path components need to be added to the device path, as demonstrated by a v4l-conf -c /dev/../root/.bash_history command.
- Record
CVE-2020-13696- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-5919 No score
An issue was discovered in LinuxTV xawtv before 3.107. The function dev_open() in v4l-conf.c does not perform sufficient checks to prevent an unprivileged caller of the program from opening unintended filesystem paths. This allows a local attacker with access to the v4l-conf setuid-root program to test for the existence of arbitrary files and to trigger an open on arbitrary files with mode O_RDWR. To achieve this, relative path components need to be added to the device path, as demonstrated by a v4l-conf -c /dev/../root/.bash_history command.
- Record
EUVD-2020-5919- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-v59g-m57m-jww7
4.4
An issue was discovered in LinuxTV xawtv before 3.107. The function dev_open() in v4l-conf.c does...
An issue was discovered in LinuxTV xawtv before 3.107. The function dev_open() in v4l-conf.c does not perform sufficient checks to prevent an unprivileged caller of the program from opening unintended filesystem paths. This allows a local attacker with access to the v4l-conf setuid-root program to test for the existence of arbitrary files and to trigger an open on arbitrary files with mode O_RDWR. To achieve this, relative path components need to be added to the device path, as demonstrated by a v4l-conf -c /dev/../root/.bash_history command.
- Record
GHSA-v59g-m57m-jww7- CVSS 3.1
- 4.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-732, CWE-863
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
4.4
An issue was discovered in LinuxTV xawtv before 3.107. The function dev_open() in v4l-conf.c does not perform sufficient checks to prevent an unprivileged caller of the program from opening unintended filesystem paths. This allows a local attacker with access to the v4l-conf setuid-root program to test for the existence of arbitrary files and to trigger an open on arbitrary files with mode O_RDWR. To achieve this, relative path components need to be added to the device path, as demonstrated by a v4l-conf -c /dev/../root/.bash_history command.
- Record
CVE-2020-13696- CVSS 3.1
- 4.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2020-13696
4.4
An issue was discovered in LinuxTV xawtv before 3.107. The function dev_open() in v4l-conf.c does not perform sufficient checks to prevent an unprivileged caller of the program from opening unintended filesystem paths. This allows a local attacker with access to the v4l-conf setuid-root program to test for the existence of arbitrary files and to trigger an open on arbitrary files with mode O_RDWR. To achieve this, relative path components need to be added to the device path, as demonstrated by a v4l-conf -c /dev/../root/.bash_history command.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2020-13696- CVSS 3.1
- 4.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
Show 7 moreShow less
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2020-13696
4.4
An issue was discovered in LinuxTV xawtv before 3.107. The function dev_open() in v4l-conf.c does not perform sufficient checks to prevent an unprivileged caller of the program from opening unintended filesystem paths. This allows a local attacker with access to the v4l-conf setuid-root program to test for the existence of arbitrary files and to trigger an open on arbitrary files with mode O_RDWR. To achieve this, relative path components need to be added to the device path, as demonstrated by a v4l-conf -c /dev/../root/.bash_history command.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2020-13696- CVSS 3.1
- 4.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVMGASA-2020-0257 No score
Updated xawtv packages fix security vulnerability
Updated xawtv packages fix security vulnerability:
The v4l-conf program in xawtv allows users to determine the existence of file names in directories they do not have access to, and allows a user to have the system open files they do not have access to, though it does not provide the user access to the file contents (CVE-2020-13696).
- Record
MGASA-2020-0257- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2020:0784-1 No score
Security update for xawtv
This update for xawtv fixes the following issues:
- CVE-2020-13696: Fixed an issue in setuid-root program that which could have allowed arbitrary file existence tests and open() with O_RDWR (boo#1171655).
- Record
openSUSE-SU-2020:0784-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2020:0787-1 No score
Security update for xawtv
This update for xawtv fixes the following issues:
- CVE-2020-13696: Fixed an issue in setuid-root program that which could have allowed arbitrary file existence tests and open() with O_RDWR (boo#1171655).
This update was imported from the openSUSE:Leap:15.1:Update update project.
- Record
openSUSE-SU-2020:0787-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2024:11517-1 No score
alevtd-3.107-2.5 on GA media
These are all security issues fixed in the alevtd-3.107-2.5 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.
- Record
openSUSE-SU-2024:11517-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVSUSE-SU-2020:1712-1 No score
Security update for xawtv
This update for xawtv fixes the following issues:
- CVE-2020-13696: Fixed an issue in setuid-root program that which could have allowed arbitrary file existence tests and open() with O_RDWR (bsc#1171655).
- Record
SUSE-SU-2020:1712-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUSN-4518-1 No score
xawtv vulnerability
Matthias Gerstner discovered that xawtv incorrectly handled opening files. A local attacker could possibly use this issue to open and write to arbitrary files and escalate privileges. (CVE-2020-13696)
- Record
USN-4518-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
xawtvDebian:12 |
before 3.107-1 | 3.107-1 |
xawtvDebian:13 |
before 3.107-1 | 3.107-1 |
xawtvDebian:14 |
before 3.107-1 | 3.107-1 |
xawtvDebian:8 |
before 3.103-3+deb8u1, plus listed versions 3.103-3 |
3.103-3+deb8u1 |
xawtvMageia:7 |
before 3.107-1.1.mga7 | 3.107-1.1.mga7 |
xawtvSUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 12 SP4 |
before 3.103-6.3.1 | 3.103-6.3.1 |
xawtvSUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 12 SP5 |
before 3.103-6.3.1 | 3.103-6.3.1 |
xawtvUbuntu:16.04:LTS |
before 3.103-3+deb8u1build0.16.04.1, plus listed versions 3.103-33.103-3build1 |
3.103-3+deb8u1build0.16.04.1 |
xawtvUbuntu:18.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 3.103-4build1 |
None known |
xawtvUbuntu:20.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 3.106-1 |
None known |
xawtvopenSUSE:Leap 15.1 |
before 3.103-lp151.3.3.1 | 3.103-lp151.3.3.1 |
xawtvSUSE:Package Hub 15 SP1 |
before 3.103-bp151.4.3.1 | 3.103-bp151.4.3.1 |
xawtvopenSUSE:Tumbleweed |
before 3.107-2.5 | 3.107-2.5 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD, OSV | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2020-13696 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 4.4) in Debian Linux, published June 7, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.36%, the 29th percentile. Fixed in xawtv 3.107-1.
References
git.linuxtv.org/xawtv3.git/commit?id=31f31f9cbaee7be806cba38e0ff5431bd44b20a3
git.linuxtv.org/xawtv3.git/commit?id=36dc44e68e5886339b4a0fbe3f404fb1a4fd2292
git.linuxtv.org/xawtv3.git/commit?id=8e3feea862db68d3ca0886f46cd99fab45d2db7c
bugzilla.suse.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2020-13696
openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/06/04/6
lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-06/msg00009.html
Show 21 moreShow less
lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-06/msg00013.html
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/06/msg00018.html
usn.ubuntu.com/4518-1
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/ELOXU5LXQSQOXX64D4BICZV3TQWOBXHC
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/I7XWAO7W2DGA6M52JGK2TDWUGF62Q2KY
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-13696
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/ELOXU5LXQSQOXX64D4BICZV3TQWOBXHC
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/I7XWAO7W2DGA6M52JGK2TDWUGF62Q2KY
github.com/advisories/GHSA-v59g-m57m-jww7
security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2020-13696
advisories.mageia.org/MGASA-2020-0257.html
bugs.mageia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=26736
suse.com/support/update/announcement/2020/suse-su-20201712-1
bugzilla.suse.com/1171655
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2020-13696
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2020-13696
openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/06/04/6/1
ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-4518-1
cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-13696
lists.opensuse.org/archives/list/[email protected]/thread/2R644K2DUV2CAKGQ6QMQTY7Z46SYWCLB
lists.opensuse.org/archives/list/[email protected]/thread/BSMQBLXPKPRPTKV2QDMEOEBDNPUON2C6