How severe is CVE-2020-15113?

CVE-2020-15113 has a CVSS score of 7.1/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2020-15113?

CVE-2020-15113 affects the following packages: github.com/etcd-io/etcd (Go), github.com/etcd-io/etcd (Go). Ecosystems affected: Go.

How do I fix CVE-2020-15113?

Update github.com/etcd-io/etcd to 3.4.10 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2020-15113 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2020-15113 in my Go dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/etcd-io/etcd, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate CVE-2020-15113 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Put an independent control in front of the weakness: restrict the affected endpoint or interface to trusted networks, require an additional authentication factor or proxy-level check, and invalidate existing sessions and credentials in case the flaw has already been used.

Is CVE-2020-15113 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2020-15113 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2020-15113?

CVE-2020-15113 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 0.2%, placing it in the 12th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2020-15113?

CVE-2020-15113 is classified as CWE-281 (CWE-281). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

When was CVE-2020-15113 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2020-15113 was published on August 5, 2020 and was last updated on October 20, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

🐹

🐹 Go

Not in CISA KEV

HIGH severity

CVE-2020-15113 — etcd

HIGHFix: etcd-io/etcd@6be5c54

CVE-2020-15113 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.1) CWE-281 vulnerability in github.com/etcd-io/etcd. A fix is available for github.com/etcd-io/etcd — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Improper Preservation of Permissions in etcd

Also known asBIT-etcd-2020-15113GHSA-chh6-ppwq-jh92

Published

Aug 5, 2020

Updated

Oct 20, 2026

Affected

2 pkgs

Patched

2 / 2

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Nov 6, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

0.2%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs12th percentile — riskier than 12% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

How urgent is this, really

Where this sits among everything scored

Real-World Exposure

2 pkgs affected

🐹github.com/etcd-io/etcd🐹github.com/etcd-io/etcd

Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Go packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.

Description

Vulnerability type

Access Controls

Detail

etcd creates certain directory paths (etcd data directory and the directory path when provided to automatically generate self-signed certificates for TLS connections with clients) with restricted access permissions (700) by using the os.MkdirAll. This function does not perform any permission checks when a given directory path exists already.

Specific Go Package Affected

github.com/etcd-io/etcd/pkg/fileutil

Workarounds

Make sure these directories have the desired permit (700).

References

Find out more on this vulnerability in the security audit report

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

Contact the etcd security committee

Affected Packages

2 total 2 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
🐹Go	`github.com/etcd-io/etcd`	≥ 3.4.0-rc.0&&< 3.4.10	3.4.10`go get github.com/etcd-io/etcd@v3.4.10`
🐹Go	`github.com/etcd-io/etcd`	all versions	3.3.23`go get github.com/etcd-io/etcd@v3.3.23`

Affected Products

2 products · 3 configurations

Application

etcdetcd

≥ 3.4.0 && < 3.4.10

range

fedorafedoraproject

1 version

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/etcd-io/etcd, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update github.com/etcd-io/etcd to 3.4.10 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2020-15113 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Put an independent control in front of the weakness: restrict the affected endpoint or interface to trusted networks, require an additional authentication factor or proxy-level check, and invalidate existing sessions and credentials in case the flaw has already been used.

Fixing This On Your OS

If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.

Red HatModerate

In Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform (RHOCP) the affected components are behind OpenShift OAuth authentication. This restricts access to the vulnerable etcd to authenticated users only, therefore the impact by this vulnerability is Low. A similar access restriction is in place in Red Hat OpenStack Platform (RHOSP)…

Product	Fixed in	Advisory
Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.8	`openshift4/ose-etcd:v4.8.0-202106152230.p0.git.aefa6bf.assembly.stream`	RHSA-2021:2438
Red Hat OpenStack Platform 16.1	`etcd-0:3.3.23-1.el8ost`	RHSA-2021:0916

Frequently Asked Questions

### Vulnerability type Access Controls ### Detail etcd creates certain directory paths (etcd data directory and the directory path when provided to automatically generate self-signed certificates for TLS connections with clients) with restricted access permissions (700) by using the os.MkdirAll. This function does not perform any permission checks when a given directory path exists already. ### Specific Go Package Affected github.com/etcd-io/etcd/pkg/fileutil ### Workarounds Make sure these directories have the desired permit (700). ### References Find out more on this vulnerability in the [