CVE-2020-11867
Audacity through 2.3.3 saves temporary files to /var/tmp/audacity-$USER by default. After...
Audacity through 2.3.3 saves temporary files to /var/tmp/audacity-$USER by default. After Audacity creates the temporary directory, it sets its permissions to 755. Any user on the system can read and play the temporary audio .au files located there.
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
- None
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
3.3
Audacity through 2.3.3 saves temporary files to /var/tmp/audacity-$USER by default. After Audacity creates the temporary directory, it sets its permissions to 755. Any user on the system can read and play the temporary audio .au files located there.
- Record
CVE-2020-11867- CVSS 3.1
- 3.3 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - CVSS 2.0
- 2.1 Low
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-276
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
Audacity through 2.3.3 saves temporary files to /var/tmp/audacity-$USER by default. After Audacity creates the temporary directory, it sets its permissions to 755. Any user on the system can read and play the temporary audio .au files located there.
- Record
CVE-2020-11867- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-4207 No score
Audacity through 2.3.3 saves temporary files to /var/tmp/audacity-$USER by default. After Audacity creates the temporary directory, it sets its permissions to 755. Any user on the system can read and play the temporary audio .au files located there.
- Record
EUVD-2020-4207- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-wrfq-hrw9-9rm3 No score
Audacity through 2.3.3 saves temporary files to /var/tmp/audacity-$USER by default. After...
Audacity through 2.3.3 saves temporary files to /var/tmp/audacity-$USER by default. After Audacity creates the temporary directory, it sets its permissions to 755. Any user on the system can read and play the temporary audio .au files located there.
- Record
GHSA-wrfq-hrw9-9rm3- Weakness
- CWE-276
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
3.3
Audacity through 2.3.3 saves temporary files to /var/tmp/audacity-$USER by default. After Audacity creates the temporary directory, it sets its permissions to 755. Any user on the system can read and play the temporary audio .au files located there.
- Record
CVE-2020-11867- CVSS 3.1
- 3.3 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2020-11867
3.3
Audacity through 2.3.3 saves temporary files to /var/tmp/audacity-$USER by default. After Audacity creates the temporary directory, it sets its permissions to 755. Any user on the system can read and play the temporary audio .au files located there.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2020-11867- CVSS 3.1
- 3.3 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
Show 4 moreShow less
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2020-11867
3.3
Audacity through 2.3.3 saves temporary files to /var/tmp/audacity-$USER by default. After Audacity creates the temporary directory, it sets its permissions to 755. Any user on the system can read and play the temporary audio .au files located there.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2020-11867- CVSS 3.1
- 3.3 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVMGASA-2021-0001 No score
Updated audacity package fixes security vulnerability
Audacity through 2.3.3 saves temporary files to /var/tmp/audacity-$USER by default. After Audacity creates the temporary directory, it sets its permissions to 755. Any user on the system can read and play the temporary audio .au files located there (CVE-2020-11867).
- Record
MGASA-2021-0001- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2020:2261-1 No score
Security update for audacity
This update for audacity fixes the following issues:
- CVE-2020-11867: Avoid saving temporary files to /var/tmp/audacity-$USER by default, which permissions are set to 755. (bsc#1179449)
- Record
openSUSE-SU-2020:2261-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUSN-7211-1 No score
audacity vulnerability
Mike Salvatore discovered that Audacity incorrectly handled default permissions of temporary files created by the application. An attacker could possibly use this issue to obtain sensitive information.
- Record
USN-7211-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
audacityDebian:12 |
before 2.4.2~dfsg0-4 | 2.4.2~dfsg0-4 |
audacityDebian:13 |
before 2.4.2~dfsg0-4 | 2.4.2~dfsg0-4 |
audacityDebian:14 |
before 2.4.2~dfsg0-4 | 2.4.2~dfsg0-4 |
audacityMageia:7 |
before 2.3.1-1.2.mga7 | 2.3.1-1.2.mga7 |
audacityUbuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS |
before 2.1.2-1ubuntu0.1~esm1, plus listed versions 2.0.6-2build12.0.6-2build22.1.2~rc2-12.1.2-1 |
2.1.2-1ubuntu0.1~esm1 |
audacityUbuntu:Pro:18.04:LTS |
before 2.2.1-1ubuntu0.1~esm1, plus listed versions 2.1.2-22.2.0-1build12.2.0-22.2.1-1 |
2.2.1-1ubuntu0.1~esm1 |
audacityUbuntu:Pro:20.04:LTS |
before 2.3.3-1ubuntu0.1~esm1, plus listed versions 2.3.2-22.3.3-12.3.3-1build1 |
2.3.3-1ubuntu0.1~esm1 |
audacitySUSE:Package Hub 15 SP1 |
before 2.2.2-bp152.4.3.1 | 2.2.2-bp152.4.3.1 |
audacitySUSE:Package Hub 15 SP2 |
before 2.2.2-bp152.4.3.1 | 2.2.2-bp152.4.3.1 |
audacityopenSUSE:Leap 15.1 |
before 2.2.2-bp152.4.3.1 | 2.2.2-bp152.4.3.1 |
audacityopenSUSE:Leap 15.2 |
before 2.2.2-bp152.4.3.1 | 2.2.2-bp152.4.3.1 |
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-2020-11867 is a low vulnerability (CVSS 3.3) in Audacityteam Audacity, published November 30, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.47%, the 41st percentile. Fixed in audacity 2.4.2~dfsg0-4.
References
github.com/audacity/audacity/releases
salvatoresecurity.com/the-many-perils-of-tmp
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/WKK3S2QBXBHOFOQMXMGY5QAKVUWUX2YY
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/MG5PSF4CJ7UPMJHWX553EG3P2XN3PAYI
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-11867
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/MG5PSF4CJ7UPMJHWX553EG3P2XN3PAYI
Show 11 moreShow less
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/WKK3S2QBXBHOFOQMXMGY5QAKVUWUX2YY
github.com/advisories/GHSA-wrfq-hrw9-9rm3
security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2020-11867
advisories.mageia.org/MGASA-2021-0001.html
bugs.mageia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=27850
lists.opensuse.org/archives/list/[email protected]/thread/MIO5YFJW5KODA2NDQAAMKAOM57Z2ZM4W
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2020-11867
cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-11867
ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7211-1
bugzilla.suse.com/1179449
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2020-11867