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U BootApplication · Denx

CVE-2020-8432

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-01-29
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 2020.01 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
In Das U-Boot through 2020.01, a double free has been found in the cmd/gpt.c do_rename_gpt_parts() function. Double freeing may result in a write-what-where condition, allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code. NOTE: this vulnerablity was introduced when attempting to fix a memory leak identified by static analysis.

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 · high confidence

A double free vulnerability exists in Das U-Boot's cmd/gpt.c do_rename_gpt_parts() function through version 2020.01. The flaw was introduced during an attempt to fix a memory leak identified by static analysis. The double free can result in a write-what-where condition, enabling an attacker to execute arbitrary code.

MitigationUpdate U-Boot to a version after 2020.01 where this vulnerability is patched. If updating is not immediately feasible, disable the GPT partition renaming functionality or ensure the bootloader is not exposed to untrusted GPT partition tables.

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
U BootApplication
Affected:<= 2020.01
LeapOperating system
Affected:= 15.2

CVSS 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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify U-Boot version
    Access the U-Boot prompt (typically via serial console during boot) and run 'version' or 'ver' command to display the installed U-Boot version number
    Affected if The displayed version is 2020.01 or any version prior to 2020.01
  2. Verify GPT support is compiled in
    Check the U-Boot build configuration (config.h or .config file) for CONFIG_CMD_GPT or CONFIG_GPT being defined, or run 'help gpt' at the U-Boot prompt to see if the GPT command is available
    Affected if The GPT command is available and the GPT partitioning feature is enabled in the build
  3. Confirm GPT partitioning is in use
    Inspect the target system's disk layout using 'lsblk' or 'parted -l' on the running system, or 'printenv' in U-Boot to check for GPT-related environment variables like 'gpt_partition'
    Affected if The system boots from or manipulates GPT-partitioned disks, as the vulnerable code path handles GPT partition table operations
  4. Check for GPT partition renaming access
    At the U-Boot prompt, run 'gpt rename' or check if the do_rename_gpt_parts function can be invoked via the GPT command with rename subcommand
    Affected if The GPT rename functionality is accessible, which triggers the vulnerable do_rename_gpt_parts() code path

You are affected if your U-Boot version is 2020.01 or earlier AND the GPT partitioning and rename functionality are enabled and accessible, allowing untrusted GPT partition tables to trigger the double free.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 2020.01
Interim mitigation

Update U-Boot to a version after 2020.01 where this vulnerability is patched. If updating is not immediately feasible, disable the GPT partition renaming functionality or ensure the bootloader is not exposed to untrusted GPT partition tables.

Recommended fix High confidence

U-Boot 2020.04 or later (or the latest stable release)

  1. 1. Identify the U-Boot version currently in use by checking the bootloader configuration or build files
  2. 2. Download U-Boot version 2020.04 or later from the official U-Boot repository (https://ftp.denx.de/pub/u-boot/)
  3. 3. If building from source, ensure the cmd/gpt.c file includes the fix for the double-free in do_rename_gpt_parts()
  4. 4. Rebuild the U-Boot binary with the updated source code
  5. 5. Flash the new U-Boot binary to the target device using the appropriate flashing method for the hardware (e.g., JTAG, USB, network boot)
  6. 6. For openSUSE Leap 15.2 systems, apply any vendor security updates that address this CVE via: zypper patch --security or check opensuse-security-announce mailing list for patched U-Boot packages
Caveat Upgrading U-Boot may require reconfiguring boot scripts or environment variables; ensure backup of current configuration before flashing new version

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in U Boot Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
13.0 hours of engineering $2,200
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-8432 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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