CVE-2020-8720
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 · uneditedBuffer overflow in a subsystem for some Intel(R) Server Boards, Server Systems and Compute Modules before version 1.59 may allow a privileged user to potentially enable denial of service via local access.
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 confidenceBuffer overflow vulnerability in a firmware subsystem affecting Intel Server Boards, Server Systems, and Compute Modules prior to version 1.59. A privileged local user can exploit this to cause denial of service.
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< 1.59< 1.59< 1.59< 1.59< 1.59< 1.59< 1.59< 1.59CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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.
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Identify the Intel server hardware modelCheck the server board or compute module model number via BIOS setup, IPMI web interface, or physical label on the chassis. Common commands: `dmidecode -t baseboard` or check IPMI sensor data.Affected if The model is one of: S2600wt, R1000wt, R2000wt, S2600cw, Hns2600kp, S2600kp, Hns2600tp, or S2600tp
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Retrieve the current firmware versionUse Intel BMC/IPMI to query firmware version. Via IPMI: `ipmitool -I lanplus -H <BMC_IP> -U admin -P password raw ...` or check via BIOS setup screen under 'BIOS Version' or 'Firmware Version'. For Intel servers, also check via Intel System Health Viewer or Intel Deployment Toolkit.Affected if Unable to retrieve a firmware version (firmware may be corrupted or inaccessible)
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Compare firmware version against 1.59Locate the firmware version string (e.g., 'S2600.86B.01.58.0001' or similar) and compare the numeric portion to 1.59. Note that version strings may encode the version differently; look for the primary firmware revision number.Affected if The firmware version is below 1.59 (e.g., 1.58, 1.50, etc.) or the version string indicates a build earlier than 1.59
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Verify firmware subsystem is activeThis is a firmware-level vulnerability in a subsystem. The vulnerability exists in the baseboard management controller (BMC) firmware. If the BMC is operational (IPMI accessible, remote management enabled), the affected subsystem is active.Affected if BMC firmware is running and accessible, indicating the vulnerable firmware subsystem is loaded
The system is affected if it uses any of the listed Intel server models and the installed BMC/baseboard firmware version is below 1.59.
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 data1.59
Update Intel server firmware to version 1.59 or later. Schedule maintenance window and follow Intel firmware update procedures for the specific hardware model.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-8720 — 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-2020-8720 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
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- 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
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