CVE-2020-13603
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedInteger Overflow in memory allocating functions. Zephyr versions >= 1.14.2, >= 2.4.0 contain Integer Overflow or Wraparound (CWE-190). For more information, see https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/security/advisories/GHSA-94vp-8gc2-rm45
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceInteger overflow vulnerability in memory allocation functions within Zephyr RTOS versions >= 1.14.2 and >= 2.4.0. The overflow could cause insufficient memory to be allocated, potentially leading to heap corruption or downstream buffer overflows.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data<= 1.14.2>= 2.0.0, <= 2.2.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify Zephyr RTOS deploymentDetermine if your system or firmware uses Zephyr RTOS. Check build artifacts, firmware images, or system documentation for 'Zephyr' references. On Linux systems, check /boot/config-* or kernel build configs for CONFIG_ZEPHYR=y.Affected if Zephyr RTOS is confirmed to be in use
-
Locate Zephyr version informationFind the Zephyr version in your deployment. Check: 1) Version header files in the Zephyr source tree (include/version.h), 2) Build configuration files containing CONFIG_ZEPHYR_VERSION_STRING, 3) Firmware metadata or build logs, 4) Runtime kernel version if accessible via shell (type 'version' or check /proc/version on embedded systems).Affected if Zephyr version cannot be determined from the deployment
-
Compare version against affected rangesCompare your identified Zephyr version to the affected ranges: 1.14.2 and below, OR 2.0.0 through 2.2.0. Note that versions > 1.14.2 but < 2.0.0, and > 2.2.0, are NOT affected.Affected if Installed version falls within <= 1.14.2 or >= 2.0.0 and <= 2.2.0
-
Verify memory allocation code is usedDetermine if the affected device firmware uses dynamic memory allocation (heap functions like k_malloc, k_free, or standard malloc/free). Check source code for calls to these functions, or check build configuration for CONFIG_HEAP_MEM_POOL_SIZE > 0.Affected if Dynamic memory allocation is enabled and in use
You are affected if your Zephyr deployment uses a version within 1.14.2 and below or between 2.0.0 and 2.2.0, and employs dynamic memory allocation functions vulnerable to the integer overflow.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpgrade Zephyr to a version containing the patch for this vulnerability, or implement explicit bounds checking in affected memory allocation code paths before upgrading.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,888.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-13603 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-13603 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data