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CVE-2020-15709

add-apt-repository print ASNI terminal codes

5.5 MediumFix available

Versions of add-apt-repository before 0.98.9.2, 0.96.24.32.14, 0.96.20.10, and 0.92.37.8ubuntu0.1~esm1, printed a PPA (personal package archive) description to the terminal as-is, which allowed PPA owners to provide ANSI terminal escapes to modify terminal contents in unexpected ways.

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
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

Exploit likelihood

0.33%Down 0.1 points since Apr 14, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 5.5

Versions of add-apt-repository before 0.98.9.2, 0.96.24.32.14, 0.96.20.10, and 0.92.37.8ubuntu0.1~esm1, printed a PPA (personal package archive) description to the terminal as-is, which allowed PPA owners to provide ANSI terminal escapes to modify terminal contents in unexpected ways.

Record
CVE-2020-15709
CVSS 3.1
5.5 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
CVSS 2.0
2.1 LowAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N
Weakness
CWE-20
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List No score

add-apt-repository print ASNI terminal codes

Versions of add-apt-repository before 0.98.9.2, 0.96.24.32.14, 0.96.20.10, and 0.92.37.8ubuntu0.1~esm1, printed a PPA (personal package archive) description to the terminal as-is, which allowed PPA owners to provide ANSI terminal escapes to modify terminal contents in unexpected ways.

Record
CVE-2020-15709
Weakness
CWE-20
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-7695 No score

Versions of add-apt-repository before 0.98.9.2, 0.96.24.32.14, 0.96.20.10, and 0.92.37.8ubuntu0.1~esm1, printed a PPA (personal package archive) description to the terminal as-is, which allowed PPA owners to provide ANSI terminal escapes to modify terminal contents in unexpected ways.

Record
EUVD-2020-7695
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-9gjg-6646-fqxh No score

Versions of add-apt-repository before 0.98.9.2, 0.96.24.32.14, 0.96.20.10, and 0.92.37.8ubuntu0.1...

Versions of add-apt-repository before 0.98.9.2, 0.96.24.32.14, 0.96.20.10, and 0.92.37.8ubuntu0.1~esm1, printed a PPA (personal package archive) description to the terminal as-is, which allowed PPA owners to provide ANSI terminal escapes to modify terminal contents in unexpected ways.

Record
GHSA-9gjg-6646-fqxh
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 5.5

Versions of add-apt-repository before 0.98.9.2, 0.96.24.32.14, 0.96.20.10, and 0.92.37.8ubuntu0.1~esm1, printed a PPA (personal package archive) description to the terminal as-is, which allowed PPA owners to provide ANSI terminal escapes to modify terminal contents in unexpected ways.

Record
CVE-2020-15709
CVSS 3.1
5.5 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2020-15709 5.5

Versions of add-apt-repository before 0.98.9.2, 0.96.24.32.14, 0.96.20.10, and 0.92.37.8ubuntu0.1~esm1, printed a PPA (personal package archive) description to the terminal as-is, which allowed PPA owners to provide ANSI terminal escapes to modify terminal contents in unexpected ways.

Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2020-15709
CVSS 3.1
5.5 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2020-15709 5.5

Versions of add-apt-repository before 0.98.9.2, 0.96.24.32.14, 0.96.20.10, and 0.92.37.8ubuntu0.1~esm1, printed a PPA (personal package archive) description to the terminal as-is, which allowed PPA owners to provide ANSI terminal escapes to modify terminal contents in unexpected ways.

Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2020-15709
CVSS 3.1
5.5 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUSN-4457-1 No score

software-properties vulnerability

Jason A. Donenfeld discovered that Software Properties incorrectly filtered certain escape sequences when displaying PPA descriptions. If a user were tricked into adding an arbitrary PPA, a remote attacker could possibly manipulate the screen.

Record
USN-4457-1
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUSN-4457-2 No score

software-properties vulnerability

USN-4457-1 fixed a vulnerability in Software. This update provides the corresponding update for Ubuntu 14.04 ESM.

Original advisory details:

Jason A. Donenfeld discovered that Software Properties incorrectly filtered certain escape sequences when displaying PPA descriptions. If a user were tricked into adding an arbitrary PPA, a remote attacker could possibly manipulate the screen.

Record
USN-4457-2
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
software-properties
Debian:12
 All versions, plus listed versions
0.111-10.99.30-40.99.30-4.10.99.30-4.1~deb12u1
 None known
software-properties
Debian:9
 before 0.96.20.2-1+deb9u1, plus listed versions
0.96.20.2-1
0.96.20.2-1+deb9u1
software-properties
Ubuntu:Pro:14.04:LTS
 before 0.92.37.8ubuntu0.1~esm1, plus listed versions
0.92.270.92.280.92.290.92.300.92.31
Show 12 moreShow less
0.92.320.92.340.92.350.92.360.92.370.92.37.10.92.37.20.92.37.30.92.37.50.92.37.60.92.37.70.92.37.8
0.92.37.8ubuntu0.1~esm1
software-properties
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS
 before 0.96.20.10, plus listed versions
0.96.130.96.150.96.160.96.170.96.18
Show 10 moreShow less
0.96.200.96.20.10.96.20.20.96.20.30.96.20.40.96.20.50.96.20.60.96.20.70.96.20.80.96.20.9
0.96.20.10
software-properties
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS
 before 0.96.24.32.14, plus listed versions
0.96.24.170.96.24.190.96.24.200.96.24.210.96.24.22
Show 19 moreShow less
0.96.24.230.96.24.240.96.24.250.96.24.260.96.24.270.96.24.280.96.24.310.96.24.32.10.96.24.32.20.96.24.32.30.96.24.32.40.96.24.32.50.96.24.32.60.96.24.32.70.96.24.32.80.96.24.32.90.96.24.32.110.96.24.32.120.96.24.32.13
0.96.24.32.14
software-properties
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS
 before 0.98.9.2, plus listed versions
0.98.50.98.60.98.70.98.90.98.9.1
0.98.9.2

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
aliasesEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

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

In short

CVE-2020-15709 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.5) in Canonical Add-apt-repository, published August 3, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.33%, the 25th percentile. Fixed in software-properties 0.96.20.2-1+deb9u1.

References

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