kernel: information exposure in drivers/char/random.c and kernel/time/timer.c
Published Jul 30, 2020
3.7
LOWCVSS 3.1
EPSS 5.27%
Description
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.
Affected products
No data.
Configuration 1
- ≤ 5.7.11
Configuration 3
- 31
- 32
Configuration 4
- 9.0
Configuration 5
- 14.04
- 16.04
- 18.04
- 20.04
Configuration 6
- ≥ 9.5
- n/a
- ≥ 11.0.0 · ≤ 11.60.3
- n/a
- n/a
- n/a
- n/a
- ≤ 9.0.4
Configuration 7
- n/a
Configuration 8
- 8.2
No data.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
kernel-alt-0:4.14.0-115.32.1.el7a
Fixed · RHSA-2020:4279
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
kernel-0:4.18.0-240.8.1.el8_3
Fixed · RHSA-2020:5473
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
kernel-rt-0:4.18.0-240.8.1.rt7.62.el8_3
Fixed · RHSA-2020:5506
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.1 Extended Update Support
kernel-0:4.18.0-147.38.1.el8_1
Fixed · RHSA-2021:0184
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Extended Update Support
kernel-0:4.18.0-193.37.1.el8_2
Fixed · RHSA-2020:5418
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Extended Update Support
kernel-rt-0:4.18.0-193.37.1.rt13.87.el8_2
Fixed · RHSA-2020:5428
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
kernel
Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
kernel
Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
kernel
Will not fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
kernel-rt
Will not fix
Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2
kernel
Will not fix
| Product | Package | State | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | kernel-alt-0:4.14.0-115.32.1.el7a | Fixed | RHSA-2020:4279 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | kernel-0:4.18.0-240.8.1.el8_3 | Fixed | RHSA-2020:5473 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | kernel-rt-0:4.18.0-240.8.1.rt7.62.el8_3 | Fixed | RHSA-2020:5506 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.1 Extended Update Support | kernel-0:4.18.0-147.38.1.el8_1 | Fixed | RHSA-2021:0184 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Extended Update Support | kernel-0:4.18.0-193.37.1.el8_2 | Fixed | RHSA-2020:5418 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Extended Update Support | kernel-rt-0:4.18.0-193.37.1.rt13.87.el8_2 | Fixed | RHSA-2020:5428 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 | kernel | Out of support scope | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | kernel | Out of support scope | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | kernel | Will not fix | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | kernel-rt | Will not fix | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2 | kernel | Will not fix | n/a |
No package ranges for this CVE.
Remediation
Red Hat mitigation
Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options don't meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base or stability.
Metrics
No CVSS v4.0 score for this CVE.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
No CVSS v3.0 score for this CVE.
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
This CVE is not in the KEV list.
No CISA SSVC assessment for this CVE yet.
Estimated probability of exploitation in the wild in the next 30 days (FIRST EPSS). As of Oct 1, 2026.
Score over time
2021–2026- EPSS v1
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Percentile over time
- EPSS v1
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Table of values (22 key points)
Flat stretches are collapsed; showing up to 120 newest points.
| Date | Score | Percentile | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | 5.27% (0.05271) | 92.30th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jun 15, 2026 | 5.25% (0.05247) | 91.44th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Nov 21, 2025 | 1.68% (0.01676) | 81.59th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Nov 18, 2025 | 2.73% (0.02725) | 84.65th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 17, 2025 | 1.21% (0.01210) | 77.60th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Dec 12, 2024 | 0.43% (0.00427) | 75.21th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Jul 6, 2024 | 0.22% (0.00222) | 60.86th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Jun 20, 2024 | 0.19% (0.00195) | 57.20th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Jun 3, 2024 | 0.20% (0.00203) | 58.25th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Nov 8, 2023 | 0.21% (0.00209) | 58.66th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Oct 1, 2023 | 0.14% (0.00141) | 49.34th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Jul 6, 2023 | 0.16% (0.00159) | 51.36th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Apr 15, 2023 | 0.17% (0.00168) | 52.00th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 7, 2023 | 0.15% (0.00154) | 49.85th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 6, 2023 | 3.78% (0.03779) | 85.48th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Apr 1, 2022 | 3.78% (0.03779) | 84.01th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 4, 2022 | 35.72% (0.35720) | 96.93th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 3, 2022 | 16.07% (0.16075) | 90.21th | v1 |
| Jan 6, 2022 | 16.07% (0.16075) | 90.09th | v1 |
| Sep 1, 2021 | 4.09% (0.04094) | 83.36th | v1 |
| Jun 15, 2021 | 4.09% (0.04094) | 0.00th | v1 |
| Apr 14, 2021 | 3.85% (0.03846) | 0.00th | v1 |
References (19)
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-08/msg00009.html vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSEMailing ListThird Party Advisory
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-08/msg00047.html vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSEMailing ListThird Party Advisory
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2020-16166 Vendor Advisory
- https://arxiv.org/pdf/2012.07432.pdf x_refsource_MISCTechnical DescriptionThird Party Advisory
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1865751 Issue Tracking
- https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=f227e3ec3b5cad859ad15666874405e8c1bbc1d4 x_refsource_MISCPatchVendor Advisory
- https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=c51f8f88d705e06bd696d7510aff22b33eb8e638 x_refsource_MISCPatchVendor Advisory
- https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/f227e3ec3b5cad859ad15666874405e8c1bbc1d4 x_refsource_MISCPatchThird Party Advisory
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/09/msg00025.html mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTMailing ListThird Party Advisory
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/10/msg00032.html mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTMailing ListThird Party Advisory
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/10/msg00034.html mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTMailing ListThird Party Advisory
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/AAPTLPAEKVAJYJ4LHN7VH4CN2W75R2YW/ vendor-advisoryx_refsource_FEDORA
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/MFBCLQWJI5I4G25TVJNLXLAXJ4MERQNW/ vendor-advisoryx_refsource_FEDORA
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-16166
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20200814-0004/ x_refsource_CONFIRMThird Party Advisory
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4525-1/ vendor-advisoryx_refsource_UBUNTUThird Party Advisory
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4526-1/ vendor-advisoryx_refsource_UBUNTUThird Party Advisory
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-16166
- https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuApr2021.html x_refsource_MISCPatchThird Party Advisory
Change history (0)
No recorded changes yet.