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low 3.7

CVE-2020-16166 json

The Linux kernel through 5.7.11 allows remote attackers to make observations that help to obtain sensitive information about the internal s…

published 6y ago modified 4mo ago also EUVD-2020-8132

cvss
3.7
version 3.1, NVD
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
5.2%
EPSS 5.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 92%
public exploits
0
none known

Summary

The Linux kernel through 5.7.11 allows remote attackers to make observations that help to obtain sensitive information about the internal state of the network RNG, aka CID-f227e3ec3b5c. This is related to drivers/char/random.c and kernel/time/timer.c.

Patch / fix

  • linux Debian 14, Debian 13, Debian 12 5.7.17-1

debian advisories DEBIAN-CVE-2020-16166

  • linux Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 4.15.0-118.119
  • linux Ubuntu 20.04 LTS 5.4.0-48.52
  • linux-aws Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 4.15.0-1083.87
  • linux-aws Ubuntu 20.04 LTS 5.4.0-1025.25
  • linux-gcp Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 4.15.0-1084.95~16.04.1
  • linux-gcp Ubuntu 20.04 LTS 5.4.0-1025.25
  • linux-hwe Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 4.15.0-118.119~16.04.1
  • linux-kvm Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 4.15.0-1075.76

ubuntu advisories UBUNTU-CVE-2020-16166

Ubuntu security data © Canonical Ltd., from https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices via OSV; changed: normalised to fixed package versions per release. CC BY-SA 4.0

  • kernel-alt RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.32.1.el7a
  • perf RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.32.1.el7a
  • kernel RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.32.1.el7a
  • python-perf RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.32.1.el7a
  • kernel-tools RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.32.1.el7a
  • kernel-tools-libs RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.32.1.el7a
  • kernel-bootwrapper RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.32.1.el7a
  • kernel-abi-whitelists RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.32.1.el7a

red hat advisories RHSA-2020:4279RHSA-2021:0184RHSA-2020:5418RHSA-2020:5473RHSA-2020:5428RHSA-2020:5506

  • kernel-rt Real Time Module 15 SP1 4.12.14-14.31.1
  • kernel-syms-rt Real Time Module 15 SP1 4.12.14-14.31.1
  • kernel-rt_debug Real Time Module 15 SP1 4.12.14-14.31.1
  • kernel-source-rt Real Time Module 15 SP1 4.12.14-14.31.1
  • kernel-syms SLES for SAP 12 SP4, SLES 12 SP4-LTSS, OpenStack Cloud Crowbar 9 +1 more 4.12.14-95.60.1
  • kernel-source SLES for SAP 12 SP4, SLES 12 SP4-LTSS, OpenStack Cloud Crowbar 9 +1 more 4.12.14-95.60.1
  • kernel-default SLES for SAP 12 SP4, SLES 12 SP4-LTSS, SLE Live Patching 12 SP4 +3 more 4.12.14-95.60.1
  • kernel-syms SLES for SAP 15, SLES 15-LTSS, SLE High Performance Computing 15-LTSS +1 more 4.12.14-150.58.1

suse advisories SUSE-SU-2020:2631-1SUSE-SU-2020:2623-1SUSE-SU-2020:2610-1SUSE-SU-2020:2605-1SUSE-SU-2020:2582-1SUSE-SU-2020:2576-1

  • kernel-rt openSUSE Leap 15.2 5.3.18-lp152.3.5.1
  • kernel-syms-rt openSUSE Leap 15.2 5.3.18-lp152.3.5.1
  • kernel-rt_debug openSUSE Leap 15.2 5.3.18-lp152.3.5.1
  • kernel-source-rt openSUSE Leap 15.2 5.3.18-lp152.3.5.1
  • dpdk openSUSE Leap 15.2 19.11.1-lp152.2.5.1
  • drbd openSUSE Leap 15.2 9.0.22~1+git.fe2b5983-lp152.2.2.1
  • crash openSUSE Leap 15.2 7.2.8-lp152.3.2.1
  • mhvtl openSUSE Leap 15.2 1.62-lp152.2.2.1

opensuse advisories openSUSE-SU-2021:0242-1openSUSE-SU-2020:1236-1openSUSE-SU-2020:1153-1

Is CVE-2020-16166 in your stack? Fencer shows which of your repositories are affected as soon as an advisory lands, and opens the fix as a pull request.

Check with Fencer

Vendor advisories

What the vendors themselves say about their products: affected, fixed or not affected, and what to do.

red hat product security vex CVE-2020-16166 updated cvss 3.7

kernel: information exposure in drivers/char/random.c and kernel/time/timer.c

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 kernel Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 perf, kernel, python-perf, kernel-kdump, kernel-firmware, kernel-bootwrapper, +1 more
    affected: workaround, no fix planned “Out of support scope”
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 perf, kernel, bpftool, kernel-rt, python-perf, kernel-kdump, +8 more Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2 kernel
    affected: workaround, no fix planned “Will not fix”
  • Red Hat CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 8) kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 4.18.0-240.8.1.el8_3, kernel-debuginfo-common-aarch64 4.18.0-240.8.1.el8_3, kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64le 4.18.0-240.8.1.el8_3
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2020:5473
  • Red Hat CodeReady Linux Builder EUS (v. 8.1) kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 4.18.0-147.38.1.el8_1, kernel-debuginfo-common-aarch64 4.18.0-147.38.1.el8_1, kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64le 4.18.0-147.38.1.el8_1
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2021:0184
  • Red Hat CodeReady Linux Builder EUS (v. 8.2) kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 4.18.0-193.37.1.el8_2, kernel-debuginfo-common-aarch64 4.18.0-193.37.1.el8_2, kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64le 4.18.0-193.37.1.el8_2
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2020:5418
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8) perf 4.18.0-240.8.1.el8_3, kernel 4.18.0-240.8.1.el8_3, bpftool 4.18.0-240.8.1.el8_3, kernel-core 4.18.0-240.8.1.el8_3, kernel-tools 4.18.0-240.8.1.el8_3, python3-perf 4.18.0-240.8.1.el8_3, +15 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2020:5473
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS (v. 8.1) kernel 4.18.0-147.38.1.el8_1, kernel-core 4.18.0-147.38.1.el8_1, kernel-modules 4.18.0-147.38.1.el8_1, kernel-zfcpdump 4.18.0-147.38.1.el8_1, kernel-debug-core 4.18.0-147.38.1.el8_1, kernel-debug-modules 4.18.0-147.38.1.el8_1, +9 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2021:0184
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS (v. 8.2) perf 4.18.0-193.37.1.el8_2, kernel 4.18.0-193.37.1.el8_2, bpftool 4.18.0-193.37.1.el8_2, kernel-core 4.18.0-193.37.1.el8_2, kernel-tools 4.18.0-193.37.1.el8_2, python3-perf 4.18.0-193.37.1.el8_2, +15 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2020:5418
show 6 more
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux for ARM and IBM Power LE (POWER9) Server (v. 7) perf 4.14.0-115.32.1.el7a, kernel 4.14.0-115.32.1.el7a, kernel-alt 4.14.0-115.32.1.el7a, python-perf 4.14.0-115.32.1.el7a, kernel-tools 4.14.0-115.32.1.el7a, kernel-tools-libs 4.14.0-115.32.1.el7a, +3 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux for ARM and IBM Power LE (POWER9) Server Optional (v. 7) kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64le 4.14.0-115.32.1.el7a
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2020:4279
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 8) kernel-rt 4.18.0-240.8.1.rt7.62.el8_3, kernel-rt-core 4.18.0-240.8.1.rt7.62.el8_3, kernel-rt-modules 4.18.0-240.8.1.rt7.62.el8_3, kernel-rt-debug-core 4.18.0-240.8.1.rt7.62.el8_3, kernel-rt-debug-modules 4.18.0-240.8.1.rt7.62.el8_3, kernel-rt-modules-extra 4.18.0-240.8.1.rt7.62.el8_3, +2 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2020:5506
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time EUS (v. 8.2) kernel-rt 4.18.0-193.37.1.rt13.87.el8_2, kernel-rt-core 4.18.0-193.37.1.rt13.87.el8_2, kernel-rt-modules 4.18.0-193.37.1.rt13.87.el8_2, kernel-rt-debug-core 4.18.0-193.37.1.rt13.87.el8_2, kernel-rt-debug-modules 4.18.0-193.37.1.rt13.87.el8_2, kernel-rt-modules-extra 4.18.0-193.37.1.rt13.87.el8_2, +2 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2020:5428
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 8) kernel-rt 4.18.0-240.8.1.rt7.62.el8_3, kernel-rt-kvm 4.18.0-240.8.1.rt7.62.el8_3, kernel-rt-core 4.18.0-240.8.1.rt7.62.el8_3, kernel-rt-modules 4.18.0-240.8.1.rt7.62.el8_3, kernel-rt-debug-kvm 4.18.0-240.8.1.rt7.62.el8_3, kernel-rt-debug-core 4.18.0-240.8.1.rt7.62.el8_3, +4 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2020:5506
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV EUS (v. 8.2) kernel-rt 4.18.0-193.37.1.rt13.87.el8_2, kernel-rt-kvm 4.18.0-193.37.1.rt13.87.el8_2, kernel-rt-core 4.18.0-193.37.1.rt13.87.el8_2, kernel-rt-modules 4.18.0-193.37.1.rt13.87.el8_2, kernel-rt-debug-kvm 4.18.0-193.37.1.rt13.87.el8_2, kernel-rt-debug-core 4.18.0-193.37.1.rt13.87.el8_2, +4 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2020:5428
  • Red Hat CodeReady Linux Builder EUS (v. 8.1) perf-debuginfo 4.18.0-147.38.1.el8_1, bpftool-debuginfo 4.18.0-147.38.1.el8_1, kernel-tools-debuginfo 4.18.0-147.38.1.el8_1, python3-perf-debuginfo 4.18.0-147.38.1.el8_1, kernel-tools-libs-devel 4.18.0-147.38.1.el8_1 Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8) kernel-headers 4.18.0-240.8.1.el8_3, kernel-cross-headers 4.18.0-240.8.1.el8_3 Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS (v. 8.1) perf 4.18.0-147.38.1.el8_1, bpftool 4.18.0-147.38.1.el8_1, kernel-tools 4.18.0-147.38.1.el8_1, python3-perf 4.18.0-147.38.1.el8_1, kernel-tools-libs 4.18.0-147.38.1.el8_1, kernel-abi-whitelists 4.18.0-147.38.1.el8_1 Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS (v. 8.2) kernel-headers 4.18.0-193.37.1.el8_2
    not affected: vulnerable code not present

Red Hat CSAF VEX © Red Hat, Inc., from https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/; changed: reduced to product statuses and remediations. CC BY 4.0 · csaf

Exploit prediction

5.23% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 92% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-09).

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
NVD 3.1 3.7 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
NVD 2.0 4.3 AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N

Classification

Weakness
  • CWE-330 Use of Insufficiently Random Values
Technology feeds

References

Sources

Fencer Intel keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.