{"id":"CVE-2020-36788","state":"PUBLISHED","title":"drm/nouveau: avoid a use-after-free when BO init fails","description":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\ndrm/nouveau: avoid a use-after-free when BO init fails\n\nnouveau_bo_init() is backed by ttm_bo_init() and ferries its return code\nback to the caller. On failures, ttm_bo_init() invokes the provided\ndestructor which should de-initialize and free the memory.\n\nThus, when nouveau_bo_init() returns an error the gem object has already\nbeen released and the memory freed by nouveau_bo_del_ttm().","publishedAt":"2024-05-21T15:03:27.915Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-05T08:44:32.011Z","severity":{"score":7.8,"label":"High","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","source":"Linux"},"assigner":"Linux","products":["Linux Linux"],"affected":[{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"019cbd4a4feb3aa3a917d78e7110e3011bbff6d5","status":"affected","lessThan":"f86e19d918a85492ad1a01fcdc0ad5ecbdac6f96","versionType":"git"},{"version":"019cbd4a4feb3aa3a917d78e7110e3011bbff6d5","status":"affected","lessThan":"548f2ff8ea5e0ce767ae3418d1ec5308990be87d","versionType":"git"},{"version":"019cbd4a4feb3aa3a917d78e7110e3011bbff6d5","status":"affected","lessThan":"bcf34aa5082ee2343574bc3f4d1c126030913e54","versionType":"git"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_gem.c"]},{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"affected","versions":[{"version":"5.4","status":"affected"},{"version":"0","status":"unaffected","lessThan":"5.4","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.10.73","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.10.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.14.12","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.14.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.15","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"*","versionType":"original_commit_for_fix"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_gem.c"]}],"references":["https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f86e19d918a85492ad1a01fcdc0ad5ecbdac6f96","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/548f2ff8ea5e0ce767ae3418d1ec5308990be87d","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bcf34aa5082ee2343574bc3f4d1c126030913e54"],"weaknesses":[],"ingestedAt":"2026-10-29T19:47:24.909Z","source":{"repository":"CVEProject/cvelistV5","path":"cves/2020/36xxx/CVE-2020-36788.json","commit":"556c9d3a8cd17e218bb8e452ba7cd619a384ff47"},"raw":{"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2","cveMetadata":{"cveId":"CVE-2020-36788","state":"PUBLISHED","datePublished":"2024-05-21T15:03:27.915Z","dateUpdated":"2026-08-05T08:44:32.011Z","assignerShortName":"Linux","assignerOrgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","dateReserved":"2024-02-26T17:07:27.435Z"},"containers":{"cna":{"title":"drm/nouveau: avoid a use-after-free when BO init fails","descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\ndrm/nouveau: avoid a use-after-free when BO init fails\n\nnouveau_bo_init() is backed by ttm_bo_init() and ferries its return code\nback to the caller. On failures, ttm_bo_init() invokes the provided\ndestructor which should de-initialize and free the memory.\n\nThus, when nouveau_bo_init() returns an error the gem object has already\nbeen released and the memory freed by nouveau_bo_del_ttm()."}],"affected":[{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"019cbd4a4feb3aa3a917d78e7110e3011bbff6d5","status":"affected","lessThan":"f86e19d918a85492ad1a01fcdc0ad5ecbdac6f96","versionType":"git"},{"version":"019cbd4a4feb3aa3a917d78e7110e3011bbff6d5","status":"affected","lessThan":"548f2ff8ea5e0ce767ae3418d1ec5308990be87d","versionType":"git"},{"version":"019cbd4a4feb3aa3a917d78e7110e3011bbff6d5","status":"affected","lessThan":"bcf34aa5082ee2343574bc3f4d1c126030913e54","versionType":"git"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_gem.c"]},{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"affected","versions":[{"version":"5.4","status":"affected"},{"version":"0","status":"unaffected","lessThan":"5.4","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.10.73","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.10.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.14.12","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.14.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.15","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"*","versionType":"original_commit_for_fix"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_gem.c"]}],"references":[{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f86e19d918a85492ad1a01fcdc0ad5ecbdac6f96"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/548f2ff8ea5e0ce767ae3418d1ec5308990be87d"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bcf34aa5082ee2343574bc3f4d1c126030913e54"}],"metrics":[{"cvssV3_1":{"version":"3.1","vectorString":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","baseScore":7.8,"baseSeverity":"HIGH"},"scenarios":[{"lang":"en","value":"AV:L - Reachable only via local DRM ioctls (NOUVEAU_GEM_NEW / related paths) on a Nouveau render or primary node; not via network packets or adjacent wireless protocols.\nAC:L - The UAF is a deterministic error-path bug: an attacker who can open the DRM device can force nouveau_bo_init()/ttm_bo_init() failure (e.g., exhausting memory with large GEM allocations) and reliably hit the double-put.\nPR:L - NOUVEAU_GEM_NEW is DRM_RENDER_ALLOW, so any unprivileged local user with access to /dev/dri/renderD* can invoke it without root or CAP_SYS_ADMIN.\nUI:N - The attacker opens the render node and issues the ioctl themselves; no separate victim action is required.\nS:U - Impact is confined to the host kernel privilege boundary (local privilege escalation / memory corruption); it does not cross VM, IOMMU, or other security authorities.\nC:H - Use-after-free of the nouveau_bo/TTM object enables heap reuse and arbitrary kernel memory reads once the freed slab is reclaimed.\nI:H - The post-free ttm_bo_put path operates on attacker-influencable freed object state (including destroy callback machinery), enabling arbitrary write / control-flow hijacking.\nA:H - The UAF/double-free reliably produces kernel oops, panic, or hang even without full exploitation."}]}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"Linux","orgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","dateUpdated":"2026-08-05T08:44:32.011Z"},"cpeApplicability":[{"nodes":[{"operator":"OR","negate":false,"cpeMatch":[{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"5.4","versionEndExcluding":"5.10.73"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"5.4","versionEndExcluding":"5.14.12"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"5.4","versionEndExcluding":"5.15"}]}]}],"x_generator":{"engine":"bippy-1.2.0"}},"adp":[{"title":"CISA ADP Vulnrichment","metrics":[{"other":{"type":"ssvc","content":{"id":"CVE-2020-36788","role":"CISA Coordinator","options":[{"Exploitation":"none"},{"Automatable":"no"},{"Technical Impact":"partial"}],"version":"2.0.3","timestamp":"2024-05-23T19:01:06.801476Z"}}}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"CISA-ADP","orgId":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0","dateUpdated":"2024-06-04T17:12:28.462Z"}},{"title":"CVE Program Container","references":[{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f86e19d918a85492ad1a01fcdc0ad5ecbdac6f96","tags":["x_transferred"]},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/548f2ff8ea5e0ce767ae3418d1ec5308990be87d","tags":["x_transferred"]},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bcf34aa5082ee2343574bc3f4d1c126030913e54","tags":["x_transferred"]}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"CVE","orgId":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108","dateUpdated":"2024-08-04T17:37:07.365Z"}}]}}}