CVE-2020-8019
syslog-ng: Local privilege escalation from new to root in %post
A UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following vulnerability in the packaging of syslog-ng of SUSE Linux Enterprise Debuginfo 11-SP3, SUSE Linux Enterprise Debuginfo 11-SP4, SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Legacy Software 12, SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 11-SP3, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11-SP4-LTSS, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP 12-SP1; openSUSE Backports SLE-15-SP1, openSUSE Leap 15.1 allowed local attackers controlling the user news to escalate their privileges to root. This issue affects: SUSE Linux Enterprise Debuginfo 11-SP3 syslog-ng versions prior to 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Debuginfo 11-SP4 syslog-ng versions prior to 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Legacy Software 12 syslog-ng versions prior to 3.6.4-12.8.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 11-SP3 syslog-ng versions prior to 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11-SP4-LTSS syslog-ng versions prior to 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP 12-SP1 syslog-ng versions prior to 3.6.4-12.8.1. openSUSE Backports SLE-15-SP1 syslog-ng versions prior to 3.19.1-bp151.4.6.1. openSUSE Leap 15.1 syslog-ng versions prior to 3.19.1-lp151.3.6.1.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- 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
CVE List Score used
syslog-ng: Local privilege escalation from new to root in %post
A UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following vulnerability in the packaging of syslog-ng of SUSE Linux Enterprise Debuginfo 11-SP3, SUSE Linux Enterprise Debuginfo 11-SP4, SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Legacy Software 12, SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 11-SP3, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11-SP4-LTSS, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP 12-SP1; openSUSE Backports SLE-15-SP1, openSUSE Leap 15.1 allowed local attackers controlling the user news to escalate their privileges to root. This issue affects: SUSE Linux Enterprise Debuginfo 11-SP3 syslog-ng versions prior to 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Debuginfo 11-SP4 syslog-ng versions prior to 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Legacy Software 12 syslog-ng versions prior to 3.6.4-12.8.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 11-SP3 syslog-ng versions prior to 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11-SP4-LTSS syslog-ng versions prior to 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP 12-SP1 syslog-ng versions prior to 3.6.4-12.8.1. openSUSE Backports SLE-15-SP1 syslog-ng versions prior to 3.19.1-bp151.4.6.1. openSUSE Leap 15.1 syslog-ng versions prior to 3.19.1-lp151.3.6.1.
- Record
CVE-2020-8019- CVSS 3.1
- 7.7 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-61
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-28932
A UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following vulnerability in the packaging of syslog-ng of SUSE Linux Enterprise Debuginfo 11-SP3, SUSE Linux Enterprise Debuginfo 11-SP4, SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Legacy Software 12, SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 11-SP3, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11-SP4-LTSS, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP 12-SP1; openSUSE Backports SLE-15-SP1, openSUSE Leap 15.1 allowed local attackers controlling the user news to escalate their privileges to root. This issue affects: SUSE Linux Enterprise Debuginfo 11-SP3 syslog-ng versions prior to 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Debuginfo 11-SP4 syslog-ng versions prior to 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Legacy Software 12 syslog-ng versions prior to 3.6.4-12.8.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 11-SP3 syslog-ng versions prior to 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11-SP4-LTSS syslog-ng versions prior to 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP 12-SP1 syslog-ng versions prior to 3.6.4-12.8.1. openSUSE Backports SLE-15-SP1 syslog-ng versions prior to 3.19.1-bp151.4.6.1. openSUSE Leap 15.1 syslog-ng versions prior to 3.19.1-lp151.3.6.1.
- Record
EUVD-2020-28932- CVSS 3.1
- 7.7 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-4j55-xp84-jjv2 No score
A UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following vulnerability in the packaging of syslog-ng of SUSE...
A UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following vulnerability in the packaging of syslog-ng of SUSE Linux Enterprise Debuginfo 11-SP3, SUSE Linux Enterprise Debuginfo 11-SP4, SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Legacy Software 12, SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 11-SP3, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11-SP4-LTSS, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP 12-SP1; openSUSE Backports SLE-15-SP1, openSUSE Leap 15.1 allowed local attackers controlling the user news to escalate their privileges to root. This issue affects: SUSE Linux Enterprise Debuginfo 11-SP3 syslog-ng versions prior to 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Debuginfo 11-SP4 syslog-ng versions prior to 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Legacy Software 12 syslog-ng versions prior to 3.6.4-12.8.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 11-SP3 syslog-ng versions prior to 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11-SP4-LTSS syslog-ng versions prior to 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP 12-SP1 syslog-ng versions prior to 3.6.4-12.8.1. openSUSE Backports SLE-15-SP1 syslog-ng versions prior to 3.19.1-bp151.4.6.1. openSUSE Leap 15.1 syslog-ng versions prior to 3.19.1-lp151.3.6.1.
- Record
GHSA-4j55-xp84-jjv2- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
A UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following vulnerability in the packaging of syslog-ng of SUSE Linux Enterprise Debuginfo 11-SP3, SUSE Linux Enterprise Debuginfo 11-SP4, SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Legacy Software 12, SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 11-SP3, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11-SP4-LTSS, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP 12-SP1; openSUSE Backports SLE-15-SP1, openSUSE Leap 15.1 allowed local attackers controlling the user news to escalate their privileges to root. This issue affects: SUSE Linux Enterprise Debuginfo 11-SP3 syslog-ng versions prior to 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Debuginfo 11-SP4 syslog-ng versions prior to 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Legacy Software 12 syslog-ng versions prior to 3.6.4-12.8.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 11-SP3 syslog-ng versions prior to 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11-SP4-LTSS syslog-ng versions prior to 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP 12-SP1 syslog-ng versions prior to 3.6.4-12.8.1. openSUSE Backports SLE-15-SP1 syslog-ng versions prior to 3.19.1-bp151.4.6.1. openSUSE Leap 15.1 syslog-ng versions prior to 3.19.1-lp151.3.6.1.
- Record
CVE-2020-8019- CVSS 3.1
- 7.7 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N - CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 7.2 High
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C - Weakness
- CWE-61
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVSUSE-SU-2020:1221-1 No score
Security update for syslog-ng
This update for syslog-ng fixes the following issues:
- CVE-2020-8019: Fixed a local privilege escalation during package update (bsc#1169385).
- Record
SUSE-SU-2020:1221-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVSUSE-SU-2020:14369-1 No score
Security update for syslog-ng
This update for syslog-ng fixes the following issues:
- CVE-2020-8019: Fixed a local privilege escalation during package update (bsc#1169385).
- Record
SUSE-SU-2020:14369-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
- oneidentity syslog-ng
- opensuse backports sle-15-sp1
- opensuse leap 15.1
- suse linux enterprise debuginfo 11-sp3
- suse linux enterprise debuginfo 11-sp4
- suse linux enterprise module for legacy software 12
- suse linux enterprise point of sale 11-sp3
- suse linux enterprise server 11-sp4-ltss
- suse linux enterprise server for sap 12-sp1
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
syslog-ngSUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Legacy 12 |
before 3.6.4-12.8.1 | 3.6.4-12.8.1 |
syslog-ngSUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP1 |
before 3.6.4-12.8.1 | 3.6.4-12.8.1 |
syslog-ngSUSE:Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 11 SP3 |
before 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1 | 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1 |
syslog-ngSUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP4-LTSS |
before 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1 | 2.0.9-27.34.40.5.1 |
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-2020-8019 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.7) in Oneidentity Syslog-ng, published May 7, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.52%, the 44th percentile. Fixed in syslog-ng 3.6.4-12.8.1.
References
bugzilla.suse.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1169385
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-8019
github.com/advisories/GHSA-4j55-xp84-jjv2
suse.com/support/update/announcement/2020/suse-su-20201221-1