CVE-2020-15861

Net-SNMP through 5.7.3 allows Escalation of Privileges because of UNIX symbolic link (symlink)...

7.8 HighFix available

Net-SNMP through 5.7.3 allows Escalation of Privileges because of UNIX symbolic link (symlink) following.

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: High
Integrity: High
Availability: High

Exploit likelihood

0.46%Down 1.0 points since Apr 14, 2021

What each source reports

NVD Score used 7.8

Net-SNMP through 5.7.3 allows Escalation of Privileges because of UNIX symbolic link (symlink) following.

Record: CVE-2020-15861
CVSS 3.1: 7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS 2.0: 7.2 HighAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Weakness: CWE-59
Updated: 2026-11-02

CVE List 7.8

Net-SNMP through 5.7.3 allows Escalation of Privileges because of UNIX symbolic link (symlink) following.

Record: CVE-2020-15861
CVSS 3.1: 7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness: CWE-59
Updated: 2026-11-02

EUVDEUVD-2020-7842 7.8

Net-SNMP through 5.7.3 allows Escalation of Privileges because of UNIX symbolic link (symlink) following.

Record: EUVD-2020-7842
CVSS 3.1: 7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated: 2026-11-02

GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-mfrp-422x-34qv 7.8

Net-SNMP through 5.7.3 allows Escalation of Privileges because of UNIX symbolic link (symlink)...

Net-SNMP through 5.7.3 allows Escalation of Privileges because of UNIX symbolic link (symlink) following.

Record: GHSA-mfrp-422x-34qv
CVSS 3.1: 7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness: CWE-59
Updated: 2026-11-02

OSV 7.8

Net-SNMP through 5.7.3 allows Escalation of Privileges because of UNIX symbolic link (symlink) following.

Record: CVE-2020-15861
CVSS 3.1: 7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated: 2026-11-02

OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2020-15861 7.8

Net-SNMP through 5.7.3 allows Escalation of Privileges because of UNIX symbolic link (symlink) following.

Record: DEBIAN-CVE-2020-15861
CVSS 3.1: 7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated: 2026-11-02

OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2020-15861 7.8

Net-SNMP through 5.7.3 allows Escalation of Privileges because of UNIX symbolic link (symlink) following.

Record: UBUNTU-CVE-2020-15861
CVSS 3.1: 7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated: 2026-11-02

OSVUSN-4471-1 No score

net-snmp vulnerabilities

Tobias Neitzel discovered that Net-SNMP incorrectly handled certain symlinks. An attacker could possibly use this issue to access sensitive information. (CVE-2020-15861)

It was discovered that Net-SNMP incorrectly handled certain inputs. An attacker could possibly use this issue to execute arbitrary code. This issue only affected Ubuntu 14.04 ESM, Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, and Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. (CVE-2020-15862)

Record: USN-4471-1
Updated: 2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
Package	Affected	Fixed
`net-snmp` Debian:12	before 5.8+dfsg-5	5.8+dfsg-5
`net-snmp` Debian:13	before 5.8+dfsg-5	5.8+dfsg-5
`net-snmp` Debian:14	before 5.8+dfsg-5	5.8+dfsg-5
`net-snmp` Debian:9	before 5.7.3+dfsg-1.7+deb9u3, plus listed versions 5.7.3+dfsg-1.75.7.3+dfsg-1.7+deb9u15.7.3+dfsg-1.7+deb9u2	5.7.3+dfsg-1.7+deb9u3
`net-snmp` Debian:10 From an advisory covering 2 CVEs	before 5.7.3+dfsg-5+deb10u1, plus listed versions 5.7.3+dfsg-5	5.7.3+dfsg-5+deb10u1
`net-snmp` Ubuntu:Pro:14.04:LTS	before 5.7.2~dfsg-8.1ubuntu3.3+esm1, plus listed versions 5.7.2~dfsg-8ubuntu15.7.2~dfsg-8ubuntu25.7.2~dfsg-8.1ubuntu15.7.2~dfsg-8.1ubuntu25.7.2~dfsg-8.1ubuntu35.7.2~dfsg-8.1ubuntu3.15.7.2~dfsg-8.1ubuntu3.25.7.2~dfsg-8.1ubuntu3.3	5.7.2~dfsg-8.1ubuntu3.3+esm1
`net-snmp` Ubuntu:16.04:LTS	before 5.7.3+dfsg-1ubuntu4.5, plus listed versions 5.7.3+dfsg-1ubuntu25.7.3+dfsg-1ubuntu35.7.3+dfsg-1ubuntu45.7.3+dfsg-1ubuntu4.15.7.3+dfsg-1ubuntu4.25.7.3+dfsg-1ubuntu4.35.7.3+dfsg-1ubuntu4.4	5.7.3+dfsg-1ubuntu4.5
`net-snmp` Ubuntu:18.04:LTS	before 5.7.3+dfsg-1.8ubuntu3.5, plus listed versions 5.7.3+dfsg-1.7ubuntu15.7.3+dfsg-1.8ubuntu15.7.3+dfsg-1.8ubuntu25.7.3+dfsg-1.8ubuntu35.7.3+dfsg-1.8ubuntu3.15.7.3+dfsg-1.8ubuntu3.25.7.3+dfsg-1.8ubuntu3.3	5.7.3+dfsg-1.8ubuntu3.5
`net-snmp` Ubuntu:20.04:LTS	before 5.8+dfsg-2ubuntu2.3, plus listed versions 5.7.3+dfsg-5ubuntu55.7.3+dfsg-5ubuntu65.8+dfsg-2ubuntu15.8+dfsg-2ubuntu25.8+dfsg-2ubuntu2.15.8+dfsg-2ubuntu2.2	5.8+dfsg-2ubuntu2.3
`net-snmp` Ubuntu:Pro:14.04:LTS From an advisory covering 2 CVEs	before 5.7.2~dfsg-8.1ubuntu3.3+esm1, plus listed versions 5.7.2~dfsg-8ubuntu15.7.2~dfsg-8ubuntu25.7.2~dfsg-8.1ubuntu15.7.2~dfsg-8.1ubuntu25.7.2~dfsg-8.1ubuntu35.7.2~dfsg-8.1ubuntu3.15.7.2~dfsg-8.1ubuntu3.25.7.2~dfsg-8.1ubuntu3.3	5.7.2~dfsg-8.1ubuntu3.3+esm1
`net-snmp` Ubuntu:16.04:LTS From an advisory covering 2 CVEs	before 5.7.3+dfsg-1ubuntu4.5, plus listed versions 5.7.3+dfsg-1ubuntu25.7.3+dfsg-1ubuntu35.7.3+dfsg-1ubuntu45.7.3+dfsg-1ubuntu4.15.7.3+dfsg-1ubuntu4.25.7.3+dfsg-1ubuntu4.35.7.3+dfsg-1ubuntu4.4	5.7.3+dfsg-1ubuntu4.5
`net-snmp` Ubuntu:18.04:LTS From an advisory covering 2 CVEs	before 5.7.3+dfsg-1.8ubuntu3.5, plus listed versions 5.7.3+dfsg-1.7ubuntu15.7.3+dfsg-1.8ubuntu15.7.3+dfsg-1.8ubuntu25.7.3+dfsg-1.8ubuntu35.7.3+dfsg-1.8ubuntu3.15.7.3+dfsg-1.8ubuntu3.25.7.3+dfsg-1.8ubuntu3.3	5.7.3+dfsg-1.8ubuntu3.5
`net-snmp` Ubuntu:20.04:LTS From an advisory covering 2 CVEs	before 5.8+dfsg-2ubuntu2.3, plus listed versions 5.7.3+dfsg-5ubuntu55.7.3+dfsg-5ubuntu65.8+dfsg-2ubuntu15.8+dfsg-2ubuntu25.8+dfsg-2ubuntu2.15.8+dfsg-2ubuntu2.2	5.8+dfsg-2ubuntu2.3

History

History
Recorded	Changed	Sources
Nov 6, 2026	affected, facts
Nov 2, 2026	first indexed	CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2020-15861 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.8) in Net-snmp, published August 4, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.46%, the 39th percentile. Fixed in net-snmp 5.8+dfsg-5.

References

Show 7 moreShow less