Every CVE Search/ Get API key

CVE-2020-11934

Sandbox escape vulnerability via snapctl user-open (xdg-open)

5.9 MediumFix available

It was discovered that snapctl user-open allowed altering the $XDG_DATA_DIRS environment variable when calling the system xdg-open. OpenURL() in usersession/userd/launcher.go would alter $XDG_DATA_DIRS to append a path to a directory controlled by the calling snap. A malicious snap could exploit this to bypass intended access restrictions to control how the host system xdg-open script opens the URL and, for example, execute a script shipped with the snap without confinement. This issue did not affect Ubuntu Core systems. Fixed in snapd versions 2.45.1ubuntu0.2, 2.45.1+18.04.2 and 2.45.1+20.04.2.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
Low
User interaction
Required

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

Exploit likelihood

0.36%Down 0.3 points since Apr 14, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

CVE List Score used 5.9

Sandbox escape vulnerability via snapctl user-open (xdg-open)

It was discovered that snapctl user-open allowed altering the $XDG_DATA_DIRS environment variable when calling the system xdg-open. OpenURL() in usersession/userd/launcher.go would alter $XDG_DATA_DIRS to append a path to a directory controlled by the calling snap. A malicious snap could exploit this to bypass intended access restrictions to control how the host system xdg-open script opens the URL and, for example, execute a script shipped with the snap without confinement. This issue did not affect Ubuntu Core systems. Fixed in snapd versions 2.45.1ubuntu0.2, 2.45.1+18.04.2 and 2.45.1+20.04.2.

Record
CVE-2020-11934
CVSS 3.1
5.9 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-4271 5.9

It was discovered that snapctl user-open allowed altering the $XDG_DATA_DIRS environment variable when calling the system xdg-open. OpenURL() in usersession/userd/launcher.go would alter $XDG_DATA_DIRS to append a path to a directory controlled by the calling snap. A malicious snap could exploit this to bypass intended access restrictions to control how the host system xdg-open script opens the URL and, for example, execute a script shipped with the snap without confinement. This issue did not affect Ubuntu Core systems. Fixed in snapd versions 2.45.1ubuntu0.2, 2.45.1+18.04.2 and 2.45.1+20.04.2.

Record
EUVD-2020-4271
CVSS 3.1
5.9 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-8cwp-mjww-pqc2 No score

It was discovered that snapctl user-open allowed altering the $XDG_DATA_DIRS environment variable...

It was discovered that snapctl user-open allowed altering the $XDG_DATA_DIRS environment variable when calling the system xdg-open. OpenURL() in usersession/userd/launcher.go would alter $XDG_DATA_DIRS to append a path to a directory controlled by the calling snap. A malicious snap could exploit this to bypass intended access restrictions to control how the host system xdg-open script opens the URL and, for example, execute a script shipped with the snap without confinement. This issue did not affect Ubuntu Core systems. Fixed in snapd versions 2.45.1ubuntu0.2, 2.45.1+18.04.2 and 2.45.1+20.04.2.

Record
GHSA-8cwp-mjww-pqc2
Updated
2026-11-02
NVD 5.9

It was discovered that snapctl user-open allowed altering the $XDG_DATA_DIRS environment variable when calling the system xdg-open. OpenURL() in usersession/userd/launcher.go would alter $XDG_DATA_DIRS to append a path to a directory controlled by the calling snap. A malicious snap could exploit this to bypass intended access restrictions to control how the host system xdg-open script opens the URL and, for example, execute a script shipped with the snap without confinement. This issue did not affect Ubuntu Core systems. Fixed in snapd versions 2.45.1ubuntu0.2, 2.45.1+18.04.2 and 2.45.1+20.04.2.

Record
CVE-2020-11934
CVSS 3.1
5.9 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N
CVSS 2.0
1.9 LowAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N
Weakness
CWE-668
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 5.9

It was discovered that snapctl user-open allowed altering the $XDG_DATA_DIRS environment variable when calling the system xdg-open. OpenURL() in usersession/userd/launcher.go would alter $XDG_DATA_DIRS to append a path to a directory controlled by the calling snap. A malicious snap could exploit this to bypass intended access restrictions to control how the host system xdg-open script opens the URL and, for example, execute a script shipped with the snap without confinement. This issue did not affect Ubuntu Core systems. Fixed in snapd versions 2.45.1ubuntu0.2, 2.45.1+18.04.2 and 2.45.1+20.04.2.

Record
CVE-2020-11934
CVSS 3.1
5.9 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2020-11934 5.9

It was discovered that snapctl user-open allowed altering the $XDG_DATA_DIRS environment variable when calling the system xdg-open. OpenURL() in usersession/userd/launcher.go would alter $XDG_DATA_DIRS to append a path to a directory controlled by the calling snap. A malicious snap could exploit this to bypass intended access restrictions to control how the host system xdg-open script opens the URL and, for example, execute a script shipped with the snap without confinement. This issue did not affect Ubuntu Core systems. Fixed in snapd versions 2.45.1ubuntu0.2, 2.45.1+18.04.2 and 2.45.1+20.04.2.

Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2020-11934
CVSS 3.1
5.9 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2020-11934 5.9

It was discovered that snapctl user-open allowed altering the $XDG_DATA_DIRS environment variable when calling the system xdg-open. OpenURL() in usersession/userd/launcher.go would alter $XDG_DATA_DIRS to append a path to a directory controlled by the calling snap. A malicious snap could exploit this to bypass intended access restrictions to control how the host system xdg-open script opens the URL and, for example, execute a script shipped with the snap without confinement. This issue did not affect Ubuntu Core systems. Fixed in snapd versions 2.45.1ubuntu0.2, 2.45.1+18.04.2 and 2.45.1+20.04.2.

Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2020-11934
CVSS 3.1
5.9 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUSN-4424-1 No score

snapd vulnerabilities

It was discovered that cloud-init as managed by snapd on Ubuntu Core 16 and Ubuntu Core 18 devices ran on every boot without restrictions. A physical attacker could exploit this to craft cloud-init user-data/meta-data via external media to perform arbitrary changes on the device to bypass intended security mechanisms such as full disk encryption. This issue did not affect traditional Ubuntu systems. (CVE-2020-11933)

It was discovered that snapctl user-open allowed altering the XDG_DATA_DIRS environment variable when calling the system xdg-open. A malicious snap could exploit this to bypass intended access restrictions to control how the host system xdg-open script opens the URL. This issue did not affect Ubuntu Core systems. (CVE-2020-11934)

Record
USN-4424-1
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
snapd
Debian:12
before 2.45.2-1
2.45.2-1
snapd
Debian:13
before 2.45.2-1
2.45.2-1
snapd
Debian:14
before 2.45.2-1
2.45.2-1
snapd
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS
before 2.45.1ubuntu0.2, plus listed versions
1.91.9.1.11.9.22.02.0.1
Show 38 moreShow less
2.0.22.0.32.0.52.0.82.0.92.0.102.11+0.16.042.12+0.16.042.132.14.2~16.042.15.2ubuntu12.16ubuntu32.17.1ubuntu12.20.1ubuntu12.212.22.22.22.32.22.62.23.12.24.12.252.26.102.27.52.28.52.29.4.22.32.3.22.32.92.33.1ubuntu22.34.22.34.2ubuntu0.12.37.42.37.4ubuntu0.12.382.39.22.39.2ubuntu0.22.402.42.12.45.1
2.45.1ubuntu0.2
snapd
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS
before 2.45.1+18.04.2, plus listed versions
2.28.5+17.102.29.4.1+18.042.29.4.2+18.042.31.1+18.042.32+18.04~pre5
Show 18 moreShow less
2.32+18.04~pre62.32+18.042.32.3.2+18.042.32.5+18.042.32.8+18.042.32.9+18.042.33.1+18.04ubuntu22.34.2+18.042.34.2+18.04.12.37.1+18.042.37.1.1+18.042.37.4+18.042.37.4+18.04.12.38+18.042.39.2+18.042.40+18.042.42.1+18.042.45.1+18.04
2.45.1+18.04.2
snapd
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS
before 2.45.1+20.04.2, plus listed versions
2.41+19.10.12.42.1+20.042.43.3+git1.8109f82.44~pre1+20.042.44+20.042.44.2+20.042.44.3+20.042.45.1+20.04
2.45.1+20.04.2

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
aliases, productsEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

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

In short

CVE-2020-11934 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.9) in Canonical Snapd, published July 15, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.36%, the 30th percentile. Fixed in snapd 2.45.2-1.

References

MoveEnter Open