CVE-2020-28638
ask_password in Tomb 2.0 through 2.7 returns a warning when pinentry-curses is used and $DISPLAY...
ask_password in Tomb 2.0 through 2.7 returns a warning when pinentry-curses is used and $DISPLAY is non-empty, causing affected users' files to be encrypted with "tomb {W] Detected DISPLAY, but only pinentry-curses is found." as the encryption key.
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
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
ask_password in Tomb 2.0 through 2.7 returns a warning when pinentry-curses is used and $DISPLAY is non-empty, causing affected users' files to be encrypted with "tomb {W] Detected DISPLAY, but only pinentry-curses is found." as the encryption key.
- Record
CVE-2020-28638- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 7.5 High
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P - Weakness
- CWE-287
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
ask_password in Tomb 2.0 through 2.7 returns a warning when pinentry-curses is used and $DISPLAY is non-empty, causing affected users' files to be encrypted with "tomb {W] Detected DISPLAY, but only pinentry-curses is found." as the encryption key.
- Record
CVE-2020-28638- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-21036 No score
ask_password in Tomb 2.0 through 2.7 returns a warning when pinentry-curses is used and $DISPLAY is non-empty, causing affected users' files to be encrypted with "tomb {W] Detected DISPLAY, but only pinentry-curses is found." as the encryption key.
- Record
EUVD-2020-21036- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-7796-9c37-q364 No score
ask_password in Tomb 2.0 through 2.7 returns a warning when pinentry-curses is used and $DISPLAY...
ask_password in Tomb 2.0 through 2.7 returns a warning when pinentry-curses is used and $DISPLAY is non-empty, causing affected users' files to be encrypted with "tomb {W] Detected DISPLAY, but only pinentry-curses is found." as the encryption key.
- Record
GHSA-7796-9c37-q364- Weakness
- CWE-287
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
ask_password in Tomb 2.0 through 2.7 returns a warning when pinentry-curses is used and $DISPLAY is non-empty, causing affected users' files to be encrypted with "tomb {W] Detected DISPLAY, but only pinentry-curses is found." as the encryption key.
- Record
CVE-2020-28638- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2020-28638
ask_password in Tomb 2.0 through 2.7 returns a warning when pinentry-curses is used and $DISPLAY is non-empty, causing affected users' files to be encrypted with "tomb {W] Detected DISPLAY, but only pinentry-curses is found." as the encryption key.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2020-28638- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2020-28638
ask_password in Tomb 2.0 through 2.7 returns a warning when pinentry-curses is used and $DISPLAY is non-empty, causing affected users' files to be encrypted with "tomb {W] Detected DISPLAY, but only pinentry-curses is found." as the encryption key.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2020-28638- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
tombDebian:12 |
before 2.8+dfsg1-1 | 2.8+dfsg1-1 |
tombDebian:13 |
before 2.8+dfsg1-1 | 2.8+dfsg1-1 |
tombDebian:14 |
before 2.8+dfsg1-1 | 2.8+dfsg1-1 |
tombUbuntu:18.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 2.4+dfsg1-12.5+dfsg1-1 |
None known |
tombUbuntu:20.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 2.6+dfsg1-12.6+dfsg1-22.7+dfsg2-1 |
None known |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| facts | ||
| 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-2020-28638 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.8) in Dyne Tomb, published November 13, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.71%, the 54th percentile. Fixed in tomb 2.8+dfsg1-1.