Various memory and file descriptor leaks in apt-python

published 2020-12-10 5 y ago modified 2026-06-17 4 mo ago also EUVD-2020-19863

cvss: 2.0; version 3.1, CNA
cisa kev: Not listed; not in CISA's catalog
epss: 0.4%; EPSS 0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 33%
public exploits: 0; none known

Various memory and file descriptor leaks were found in apt-python files python/arfile.cc, python/tag.cc, python/tarfile.cc, aka GHSL-2020-170. This issue affects: python-apt 1.1.0~beta1 versions prior to 1.1.0~beta1ubuntu0.16.04.10; 1.6.5ubuntu0 versions prior to 1.6.5ubuntu0.4; 2.0.0ubuntu0 versions prior to 2.0.0ubuntu0.20.04.2; 2.1.3ubuntu1 versions prior to 2.1.3ubuntu1.1;

Patch / fix

fixed in 1 distros 2

Canonical python-apt 1.1.0~beta1ubuntu0.16.04.10, 1.6.5ubuntu0.4, 2.0.0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 2.1.3ubuntu1.1

debian ubuntu

python-apt Debian 14, Debian 13, Debian 12 2.1.7

debian advisories DEBIAN-CVE-2020-27351

python-apt Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 1.1.0~beta1ubuntu0.16.04.10
python-apt Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 1.6.5ubuntu0.4
python-apt Ubuntu 20.04 LTS 2.0.0ubuntu0.20.04.2
python-apt Ubuntu Pro 14.04 LTS 0.9.3.5ubuntu3+esm4

ubuntu advisories UBUNTU-CVE-2020-27351

Ubuntu security data © Canonical Ltd., from https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices via OSV; changed: normalised to fixed package versions per release. CC BY-SA 4.0

Exploit prediction

0.40% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 33% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

CVSS scores

assigned by	version	score	vector
CNA	3.1	2.0	CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
NVD	3.1	2.8	CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
NVD	2.0	2.1	AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P

Affected products

Canonical python-apt

Classification

Weakness

CWE-772 Missing Release of Resource after Effective Lifetime

References

debian.org /security/2020/dsa-4809
vendor-advisory
usn.ubuntu.com /usn/usn-4668-1
vendor-advisory
bugs.launchpad.net /bugs/1899193
broken-link

Sources

CVE List CVE-2020-27351
NVD CVE-2020-27351

Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.

Summary