`CVE-2020-28196` MIT Kerberos 5

Affected software	MIT Kerberos 5
Severity	7.5 High CVSS 3.1 3 scores
Weakness	CWE-674
Published	6 Nov 2020
Updated	14 Oct 2026

Description

MIT Kerberos 5 (aka krb5) before 1.17.2 and 1.18.x before 1.18.3 allows unbounded recursion via an ASN.1-encoded Kerberos message because the lib/krb5/asn.1/asn1_encode.c support for BER indefinite lengths lacks a recursion limit.

Exploitation status

No public exploit

No exploit has been reported in the sources we check. Published 6 years ago.

CISA KEV not listed
VulnCheck KEV not listed
CISA Vulnrichment exploitation: none
Indexed PoC none indexed
EPSS 4.2% chance in 30 days

Waratek protection

Outside Waratek scope

A Java vulnerability, but not one Waratek protects. It affects only Java on a user's desktop (applets, Web Start, JavaFX, the installer), sits in a product the Waratek agent can't be installed into, or is in a package we don't expect in business applications. The decision below says which.

Protection none
Action not pursued none
Review human Researcher
Record active

Decided by	Manual classification of this CVE in the legacy dataset
Finding	A manual classification set this CVE's status to Outside Waratek scope, but the CVE names a tracked product.

Decided by

Manual classification of this CVE in the legacy dataset

Finding

A manual classification set this CVE's status to Outside Waratek scope, but the CVE names a tracked product.

CVSS

7.5 HIGH v3.1 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H 3 metrics

We show the highest score from the newest CVSS version. Scores from different versions can't be compared, and the first score listed is sometimes a 0.0 placeholder.

Version Score Band Vector Assigner Type

CVSS 3.1 7.5 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H NVD Primary published

CVSS 3.1 7.5 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H CISA-ADP Secondary

CVSS 2.0 5.0 none AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P NVD Primary

Version	Score	Band	Vector	Assigner	Type
CVSS 3.1	7.5	HIGH	`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`	NVD	Primary	published
CVSS 3.1	7.5	HIGH	`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`	CISA-ADP	Secondary
CVSS 2.0	5.0	none	`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P`	NVD	Primary

Affected software and releases

Oracle advisories

Advisory	Type	Quarter	Products Oracle names in its risk matrix
Oracle Critical Patch Update April 2022 ↗	CPU	2022-Q2	Oracle Communications / Policy (MIT Kerberos) (1.14.0)
Oracle Critical Patch Update July 2021 ↗	CPU	2021-Q3	Oracle Communications Applications / NM Core (Kerberos) (12.0.0.3.0) Oracle Communications Applications / Transformation for PDC (Kerberos) (12.0.0.3.0)
Oracle Critical Patch Update April 2021 ↗	CPU	2021-Q2	Oracle MySQL / Server: Security: Encryption (MIT Kerberos) (8.0.23 and prior)

Advisory

Type

Quarter

Products Oracle names in its risk matrix

Oracle Critical Patch Update April 2022 ↗

CPU

2022-Q2

Oracle Communications / Policy (MIT Kerberos) (1.14.0)

Oracle Critical Patch Update July 2021 ↗

CPU

2021-Q3

Oracle Communications Applications / NM Core (Kerberos) (12.0.0.3.0)
Oracle Communications Applications / Transformation for PDC (Kerberos) (12.0.0.3.0)

Oracle Critical Patch Update April 2021 ↗

CPU

2021-Q2

Oracle MySQL / Server: Security: Encryption (MIT Kerberos) (8.0.23 and prior)

Oracle components and versions

Family	Component	Versions, as Oracle lists them	Read as
Oracle Communications	Policy (MIT Kerberos)	1.14.0	1.14.0
Oracle Communications Applications	NM Core (Kerberos)	12.0.0.3.0	12.0.0.3.0
Oracle Communications Applications	Transformation for PDC (Kerberos)	12.0.0.3.0	12.0.0.3.0
Oracle MySQL	Server: Security: Encryption (MIT Kerberos)	8.0.23 and prior

Products and versions

11 products, 12 version entries

Source	Vendor	Product	Scheme	Affected versions
nvd	fedoraproject	fedora	generic	31
nvd	mit	kerberos 5	generic	＜ 1.17.2 · ≥ 1.18.0 and ＜ 1.18.3
nvd	netapp	active iq unified manager	generic	any version
nvd	netapp	cloud backup	generic	any version
nvd	netapp	oncommand insight	generic	any version
nvd	netapp	oncommand workflow automation	generic	any version
nvd	netapp	snapcenter	generic	any version
nvd	oracle	communications cloud native core policy	generic	1.14.0
nvd	oracle	communications offline mediation controller	generic	12.0.0.3.0
nvd	oracle	communications pricing design center	generic	12.0.0.3.0
nvd	oracle	mysql server	generic	≤ 8.0.23

Source

Vendor

Product

Scheme

Affected versions

nvd

fedoraproject

fedora

generic

nvd

mit

kerberos 5

generic

＜ 1.17.2 · ≥ 1.18.0 and ＜ 1.18.3

nvd

netapp

active iq unified manager

generic

any version

nvd

netapp

cloud backup

generic

any version

nvd

netapp

oncommand insight

generic

any version

nvd

netapp

oncommand workflow automation

generic

any version

nvd

netapp

snapcenter

generic

any version

nvd

oracle

communications cloud native core policy

generic

1.14.0

nvd

oracle

communications offline mediation controller

generic

12.0.0.3.0

nvd

oracle

communications pricing design center

generic

12.0.0.3.0

nvd

oracle

mysql server

generic

≤ 8.0.23

Earlier manual review

A reviewer classified this CVE in an older dataset. We kept the labels and products below, but not the reviewer's reasoning.

## Manual Classification Context **Labels:** HTTP, MYSQL PROTOCOL, NM CORE (KERBEROS), NO AUTH REMOTE EXPLOIT, SERVER: SECURITY: ENCRYPTION (MIT KERBEROS), TRANSFORMATION FOR PDC (KERBEROS) **Products:** KRB5, ORACLE COMMUNICATIONS PRICING DESIGN CENTER, MYSQL SERVER, ORACLE COMMUNICATIONS APPLICATIONS, ORACLE COMMUNICATIONS OFFLINE MEDIATION CONTROLLER, ORACLE MYSQL

References

URL	Tags
https://github.com/krb5/krb5/commit/57415dda6cf04e73ffc3723be518eddfae599bfd	Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r58af02e294bd07f487e2c64ffc0a29b837db5600e33b6e698b9d696b%40%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rf4c02775860db415b4955778a131c2795223f61cb8c6a450893651e4%40%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/11/msg00011.html	Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/45KKOZQWIIIW5C45PJVGQ32AXBSYNBE7/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/73IGOG6CZAVMVNS4GGRMOLOZ7B6QVA7F/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/KPH2V3WSQTELROZK3GFCPQDOFLKIZ6H5/
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202011-17	Third Party Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20201202-0001/	Third Party Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210513-0002/	Third Party Advisory

URL

Timeline

Published	2020-11-06	By the CVE Program.
NVD record modified	2026-10-14	NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

Published

2020-11-06

By the CVE Program.

NVD record modified

2026-10-14

NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

How VRT decided (5 of 24 rules ran)

5 of 24 rules ran. The rest didn't run because an earlier rule had already settled the CVE.

# Rule Outcome Status Detail

identity: Does this identifier describe a vulnerability at all? the first rule that matches decides

1 rejected no match CVE Program withdrawal of this identifier

scope: Is it a vulnerability Waratek protects? the first rule that matches decides

2 armr-patch-file no match An ARMR patch file on disk for this CVE

3 armr-secure-rule-file no match An ARMR security-rule template on disk for this CVE

4 manual-classification no match A researcher's recorded decision for this specific CVE

5 manual classification decided it matched Outside Waratek scope Found in legacy manual classifications

6 non-java-upstream not reached A root cause in non-Java code: an OS kernel, a C library, or a bundled runtime

7 oracle-component not reached The defect being in a component of a tracked product the agent does not reach: JavaFX, the Java SE installer, the JInitiator browser plug-in, the native WebLogic proxy plug-in, or a native part of Oracle Application Server or Collaboration Suite (HTTP Server, Web Cache, Internet Directory, mail and calendar servers). Oracle gives these no CPE of their own and names them only in the description.

8 java-client-side not reached Oracle's own risk-matrix note saying the CVE is reached only through untrusted code in the Java sandbox (applets, Web Start) or only through a client installation of Java, so a server running its own trusted code is not exposed

9 osv-maven not reached An OSV.dev record of this CVE affecting a package published to Maven Central. When every such package is one business applications do not use (Minecraft mods and launchers, Fastjson) and no tracked product is named by CPE, it settles the CVE as Outside Waratek scope instead

10 cna-maven-package not reached An affected Maven artifact named by the CNA itself

11 known-cpe-product not reached An NVD CPE naming a product ARMR tracks

12 cna-cpe-product not reached A CPE the CNA published naming a tracked product. Oracle publishes these on advisory day, months before NVD.

13 oracle-advisory-family not reached A tracked product family named in Oracle's own risk matrix. CPE cannot carry a suite name, only a module.

14 cna-named-product not reached A tracked product named in words by the CVE's own CNA, on a record with no CPE yet. Apache and Eclipse publish these on advisory day, before NVD adds CPE data.

15 non-deployable-product not reached The only affected product being a sealed appliance image, where Java runs but no -javaagent can be attached

16 unmatched-product not reached No tracked product matched above, and none present at all

disposition: What do we do about one that is? every rule runs

17 patch-hint not reached A reference pointing at the upstream fix: a commit, a PR, a Red Hat bug

18 open-source-maven not reached The affected package being open source on Maven, so the fix can be read

19 poc-derivable not reached An indexed exploit clearing the evidence bar to reverse-engineer, where there is no source to read

20 no-exploit not reached Nothing to build a rule from yet: no published exploit, no CISA record of exploitation and no source-level change to read

21 secure-rule-match not reached A vulnerability class already blocked by an ARMR security rule

22 exploited-no-fix-or-poc not reached Somebody exploiting this CVE (a CISA or VulnCheck KEV listing, or a CISA verdict of active exploitation), with no fix, source code or PoC to build a rule from

23 below-action-threshold not reached Medium or Low severity, no CISA or VulnCheck KEV listing, no PoC clearing the evidence bar, no CISA verdict, no Oracle advisory

24 no-exploit-published not reached Exploit code for this candidate, published in a reviewed catalogue or a GitHub repository with 5 or more stars, or in use per CISA or VulnCheck; not only a CISA verdict, a forecast, or nothing at all

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