USN-4538-1 (UBUNTU-CVE-2020-16121)

Vulnerability from osv_ubuntu – Published: 2020-09-24 13:03 – Updated: 2026-04-22 07:36 – Source website
VLAI
Summary
packagekit vulnerabilities
Details

Vaisha Bernard discovered that PackageKit incorrectly handled certain methods. A local attacker could use this issue to learn the MIME type of any file on the system. (CVE-2020-16121)

Sami Niemimäki discovered that PackageKit incorrectly handled local deb packages. A local user could possibly use this issue to install untrusted packages, contrary to expectations. (CVE-2020-16122)

References
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{
  "affected": [
    {
      "database_specific": {
        "cves_map": {
          "cves": [
            {
              "id": "CVE-2020-16121",
              "severity": [
                {
                  "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N",
                  "type": "CVSS_V3"
                },
                {
                  "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N",
                  "type": "CVSS_V3"
                },
                {
                  "score": "low",
                  "type": "Ubuntu"
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "id": "CVE-2020-16122",
              "severity": [
                {
                  "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
                  "type": "CVSS_V3"
                },
                {
                  "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H",
                  "type": "CVSS_V3"
                },
                {
                  "score": "medium",
                  "type": "Ubuntu"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "ecosystem": "Ubuntu:16.04:LTS"
        }
      },
      "ecosystem_specific": {
        "availability": "No subscription required",
        "binaries": [
          {
            "binary_name": "gir1.2-packagekitglib-1.0",
            "binary_version": "0.8.17-4ubuntu6~gcc5.4ubuntu1.5"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "gstreamer1.0-packagekit",
            "binary_version": "0.8.17-4ubuntu6~gcc5.4ubuntu1.5"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "libpackagekit-glib2-16",
            "binary_version": "0.8.17-4ubuntu6~gcc5.4ubuntu1.5"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "packagekit",
            "binary_version": "0.8.17-4ubuntu6~gcc5.4ubuntu1.5"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "packagekit-backend-aptcc",
            "binary_version": "0.8.17-4ubuntu6~gcc5.4ubuntu1.5"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "packagekit-backend-smart",
            "binary_version": "0.8.17-4ubuntu6~gcc5.4ubuntu1.5"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "packagekit-docs",
            "binary_version": "0.8.17-4ubuntu6~gcc5.4ubuntu1.5"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "packagekit-gtk3-module",
            "binary_version": "0.8.17-4ubuntu6~gcc5.4ubuntu1.5"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "packagekit-tools",
            "binary_version": "0.8.17-4ubuntu6~gcc5.4ubuntu1.5"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "python3-packagekit",
            "binary_version": "0.8.17-4ubuntu6~gcc5.4ubuntu1.5"
          }
        ]
      },
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "Ubuntu:16.04:LTS",
        "name": "packagekit",
        "purl": "pkg:deb/ubuntu/packagekit@0.8.17-4ubuntu6~gcc5.4ubuntu1.5?arch=source\u0026distro=xenial"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "0.8.17-4ubuntu6~gcc5.4ubuntu1.5"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ],
      "versions": [
        "0.8.17-4ubuntu6~gcc5.3",
        "0.8.17-4ubuntu6~gcc5.4ubuntu1",
        "0.8.17-4ubuntu6~gcc5.4ubuntu1.1",
        "0.8.17-4ubuntu6~gcc5.4ubuntu1.2",
        "0.8.17-4ubuntu6~gcc5.4ubuntu1.3",
        "0.8.17-4ubuntu6~gcc5.4ubuntu1.4"
      ]
    },
    {
      "database_specific": {
        "cves_map": {
          "cves": [
            {
              "id": "CVE-2020-16121",
              "severity": [
                {
                  "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N",
                  "type": "CVSS_V3"
                },
                {
                  "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N",
                  "type": "CVSS_V3"
                },
                {
                  "score": "low",
                  "type": "Ubuntu"
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "id": "CVE-2020-16122",
              "severity": [
                {
                  "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
                  "type": "CVSS_V3"
                },
                {
                  "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H",
                  "type": "CVSS_V3"
                },
                {
                  "score": "medium",
                  "type": "Ubuntu"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "ecosystem": "Ubuntu:18.04:LTS"
        }
      },
      "ecosystem_specific": {
        "availability": "No subscription required",
        "binaries": [
          {
            "binary_name": "gir1.2-packagekitglib-1.0",
            "binary_version": "1.1.9-1ubuntu2.18.04.6"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "gstreamer1.0-packagekit",
            "binary_version": "1.1.9-1ubuntu2.18.04.6"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "libpackagekit-glib2-18",
            "binary_version": "1.1.9-1ubuntu2.18.04.6"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "packagekit",
            "binary_version": "1.1.9-1ubuntu2.18.04.6"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "packagekit-command-not-found",
            "binary_version": "1.1.9-1ubuntu2.18.04.6"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "packagekit-docs",
            "binary_version": "1.1.9-1ubuntu2.18.04.6"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "packagekit-gtk3-module",
            "binary_version": "1.1.9-1ubuntu2.18.04.6"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "packagekit-tools",
            "binary_version": "1.1.9-1ubuntu2.18.04.6"
          }
        ]
      },
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "Ubuntu:18.04:LTS",
        "name": "packagekit",
        "purl": "pkg:deb/ubuntu/packagekit@1.1.9-1ubuntu2.18.04.6?arch=source\u0026distro=bionic"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "1.1.9-1ubuntu2.18.04.6"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ],
      "versions": [
        "1.1.7-1",
        "1.1.9-1",
        "1.1.9-1ubuntu1",
        "1.1.9-1ubuntu2",
        "1.1.9-1ubuntu2.18.04.1",
        "1.1.9-1ubuntu2.18.04.3",
        "1.1.9-1ubuntu2.18.04.4",
        "1.1.9-1ubuntu2.18.04.5"
      ]
    },
    {
      "database_specific": {
        "cves_map": {
          "cves": [
            {
              "id": "CVE-2020-16121",
              "severity": [
                {
                  "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N",
                  "type": "CVSS_V3"
                },
                {
                  "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N",
                  "type": "CVSS_V3"
                },
                {
                  "score": "low",
                  "type": "Ubuntu"
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "id": "CVE-2020-16122",
              "severity": [
                {
                  "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
                  "type": "CVSS_V3"
                },
                {
                  "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H",
                  "type": "CVSS_V3"
                },
                {
                  "score": "medium",
                  "type": "Ubuntu"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "ecosystem": "Ubuntu:20.04:LTS"
        }
      },
      "ecosystem_specific": {
        "availability": "No subscription required",
        "binaries": [
          {
            "binary_name": "gir1.2-packagekitglib-1.0",
            "binary_version": "1.1.13-2ubuntu1.1"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "gstreamer1.0-packagekit",
            "binary_version": "1.1.13-2ubuntu1.1"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "libpackagekit-glib2-18",
            "binary_version": "1.1.13-2ubuntu1.1"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "packagekit",
            "binary_version": "1.1.13-2ubuntu1.1"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "packagekit-command-not-found",
            "binary_version": "1.1.13-2ubuntu1.1"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "packagekit-docs",
            "binary_version": "1.1.13-2ubuntu1.1"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "packagekit-gtk3-module",
            "binary_version": "1.1.13-2ubuntu1.1"
          },
          {
            "binary_name": "packagekit-tools",
            "binary_version": "1.1.13-2ubuntu1.1"
          }
        ]
      },
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "Ubuntu:20.04:LTS",
        "name": "packagekit",
        "purl": "pkg:deb/ubuntu/packagekit@1.1.13-2ubuntu1.1?arch=source\u0026distro=focal"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "1.1.13-2ubuntu1.1"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ],
      "versions": [
        "1.1.12-5ubuntu4",
        "1.1.13-1",
        "1.1.13-2",
        "1.1.13-2build1",
        "1.1.13-2ubuntu1"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "aliases": [],
  "details": "Vaisha Bernard discovered that PackageKit incorrectly handled certain\nmethods. A local attacker could use this issue to learn the MIME type of\nany file on the system. (CVE-2020-16121)\n\nSami Niemim\u00e4ki discovered that PackageKit incorrectly handled local deb\npackages. A local user could possibly use this issue to install untrusted\npackages, contrary to expectations. (CVE-2020-16122)\n",
  "id": "USN-4538-1",
  "modified": "2026-04-22T07:36:58Z",
  "published": "2020-09-24T13:03:59Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-4538-1"
    },
    {
      "type": "REPORT",
      "url": "https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2020-16121"
    },
    {
      "type": "REPORT",
      "url": "https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2020-16122"
    }
  ],
  "related": [],
  "schema_version": "1.7.0",
  "summary": "packagekit vulnerabilities",
  "upstream": [
    "UBUNTU-CVE-2020-16121",
    "UBUNTU-CVE-2020-16122"
  ]
}



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