# CVE-2020-8833: apport: Time-of-check Time-of-use Race Condition vulnerability on crash report ownership change in Apport allows for a possib... CVE-2020-8833 is fixed in 11 products on 1 platform, first by apport 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14, released April 1, 2020. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: Routine. - Web page: https://patchblox.com/security/cve/CVE-2020-8833 - Priority: Routine - CVSS: n/a (Medium) - EPSS: 0.0034 - CISA KEV: not listed - Exploited (vendor report): no - Publicly disclosed: no - Published: Apr 1, 2020 ## Description Time-of-check Time-of-use Race Condition vulnerability on crash report ownership change in Apport allows for a possible privilege escalation opportunity. If fs.protected_symlinks is disabled, this can be exploited between the os.open and os.chown calls when the Apport cron script clears out crash files of size 0. A symlink with the same name as the deleted file can then be created upon which chown will be called, changing the file owner to root. Fixed in versions 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.23, 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14, 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.8 and 2.20.11-0ubuntu22. ## Where it's fixed | Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released | |---|---|---|---|---| | Linux | apport Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS (bionic) | 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14 | [apport 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-bionic-apport-2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14.md) | Apr 1, 2020 | | Linux | apport Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (focal) | 2.20.11-0ubuntu22 | [apport 2.20.11-0ubuntu22](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-focal-apport-2.20.11-0ubuntu22.md) | Apr 1, 2020 | | Linux | apport-gtk Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS (bionic) | 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14 | [apport-gtk 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-bionic-apport-gtk-2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14.md) | Apr 1, 2020 | | Linux | apport-gtk Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (focal) | 2.20.11-0ubuntu22 | [apport-gtk 2.20.11-0ubuntu22](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-focal-apport-gtk-2.20.11-0ubuntu22.md) | Apr 1, 2020 | | Linux | apport-kde Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS (bionic) | 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14 | [apport-kde 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-bionic-apport-kde-2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14.md) | Apr 1, 2020 | | Linux | apport-kde Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (focal) | 2.20.11-0ubuntu22 | [apport-kde 2.20.11-0ubuntu22](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-focal-apport-kde-2.20.11-0ubuntu22.md) | Apr 1, 2020 | | Linux | apport-noui Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS (bionic) | 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14 | [apport-noui 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-bionic-apport-noui-2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14.md) | Apr 1, 2020 | | Linux | apport-noui Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (focal) | 2.20.11-0ubuntu22 | [apport-noui 2.20.11-0ubuntu22](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-focal-apport-noui-2.20.11-0ubuntu22.md) | Apr 1, 2020 | | Linux | apport-retrace Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS (bionic) | 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14 | [apport-retrace 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-bionic-apport-retrace-2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14.md) | Apr 1, 2020 | | Linux | apport-retrace Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (focal) | 2.20.11-0ubuntu22 | [apport-retrace 2.20.11-0ubuntu22](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-focal-apport-retrace-2.20.11-0ubuntu22.md) | Apr 1, 2020 | | Linux | apport-valgrind Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS (bionic) | 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14 | [apport-valgrind 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-bionic-apport-valgrind-2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14.md) | Apr 1, 2020 | | Linux | apport-valgrind Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (focal) | 2.20.11-0ubuntu22 | [apport-valgrind 2.20.11-0ubuntu22](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-focal-apport-valgrind-2.20.11-0ubuntu22.md) | Apr 1, 2020 | | Linux | dh-apport Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS (bionic) | 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14 | [dh-apport 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-bionic-dh-apport-2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14.md) | Apr 1, 2020 | | Linux | dh-apport Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (focal) | 2.20.11-0ubuntu22 | [dh-apport 2.20.11-0ubuntu22](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-focal-dh-apport-2.20.11-0ubuntu22.md) | Apr 1, 2020 | | Linux | python-apport Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS (bionic) | 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14 | [python-apport 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-bionic-python-apport-2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14.md) | Apr 1, 2020 | | Linux | python-problem-report Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS (bionic) | 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14 | [python-problem-report 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-bionic-python-problem-report-2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14.md) | Apr 1, 2020 | | Linux | python3-apport Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS (bionic) | 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14 | [python3-apport 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-bionic-python3-apport-2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14.md) | Apr 1, 2020 | | Linux | python3-apport Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (focal) | 2.20.11-0ubuntu22 | [python3-apport 2.20.11-0ubuntu22](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-focal-python3-apport-2.20.11-0ubuntu22.md) | Apr 1, 2020 | | Linux | python3-problem-report Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS (bionic) | 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14 | [python3-problem-report 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-bionic-python3-problem-report-2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14.md) | Apr 1, 2020 | | Linux | python3-problem-report Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (focal) | 2.20.11-0ubuntu22 | [python3-problem-report 2.20.11-0ubuntu22](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-focal-python3-problem-report-2.20.11-0ubuntu22.md) | Apr 1, 2020 | --- Data as of 2026-11-08T00:53:09Z UTC. Source: Patchblox Patch Radar (https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar). Patchblox finds out-of-date software on Windows, macOS and Linux and updates it through release rings: https://patchblox.com/demo Free to use with attribution: show "Data: Patchblox Patch Radar" with a link to https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar. Terms, including what needs a written agreement: https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar/use-the-data Product names, logos and trademarks shown on Patch Radar belong to their respective owners. They are used only to identify the software each security fix applies to and to help readers find their platform. Their use does not imply any affiliation with, or endorsement by, those owners, and Patchblox is not affiliated with any of them.