Lucene search
K

Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2020-7238

🗓️ 18 Aug 2025 00:00:00Reported by TenableType 
nessus
 nessus
🔗 www.tenable.com👁 3 Views

Unpatched CVE-2020-7238 in Netty 4.1.43.Final enables HTTP smuggling via Transfer Encoding whitespace and Content-Length; CVE-2019-16869 fix incomplete.

Related
Refs
Code
ReporterTitlePublishedViews
Family
IBM Security Bulletins
Security Bulletin: Multiple vulnerabilities in dependent libraries affect IBM® Db2® leading to denial of service or privilege escalation.
23 Jun 202118:01
ibm
IBM Security Bulletins
Security Bulletin: Common Vulnerabilities in Cloudera Data Platform Private Cloud Base 7.1.9.
7 May 202419:59
ibm
IBM Security Bulletins
Security Bulletin: Rational Integration Tester HTTP/TCP Proxy component in Rational Test Virtualization Server and Rational Test Workbench affected by Netty vulnerabilities (CVE-2020-7238, CVE-2019-16869, CVE-2019-20445, CVE-2019-20444)
5 Mar 202011:02
ibm
IBM Security Bulletins
Security Bulletin: A vulnerability in netty affects IBM Operations Analytics Predictive Insights (CVE-2020-7238)
28 Feb 202016:01
ibm
IBM Security Bulletins
Security Bulletin: Multiple vulnerabilities in Netty affect Apache Solr, Apache Zookeeper and Logstash shipped with IBM Operations Analytics - Log Analysis
6 Sep 202408:22
ibm
IBM Security Bulletins
Security Bulletin: A vulnerability in netty affects IBM Spectrum Scale Transparent Cloud Tiering(CVE-2020-7238)
26 May 202015:40
ibm
IBM Security Bulletins
Security Bulletin: IBM Security Guardium Insights is affected by a Netty vulnerability
9 Oct 202019:48
ibm
IBM Security Bulletins
Security Bulletin: A vulnerability in netty affects IBM Spectrum Scale Transparent Cloud Tiering(CVE-2020-7238)
26 May 202015:39
ibm
IBM Security Bulletins
Security Bulletin: Vulnerabilities in Netty affect IBM Netcool Agile Service Manager (CVE-2020-7238)
24 Jul 202015:22
ibm
IBM Security Bulletins
Security Bulletin: Netty security vulnerabilities on IBM Watson Machine Learning Server
3 May 202115:05
ibm
Rows per page
#%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80900
##
# (C) Tenable, Inc.
##

include('compat.inc');

if (description)
{
  script_id(251614);
  script_version("1.1");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2025/08/18");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2020-7238");

  script_name(english:"Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2020-7238");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be
patched.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied
patch available.

  - Netty 4.1.43.Final allows HTTP Request Smuggling because it mishandles Transfer-Encoding whitespace (such
    as a [space]Transfer-Encoding:chunked line) and a later Content-Length header. This issue exists because
    of an incomplete fix for CVE-2019-16869. (CVE-2020-7238)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2020-7238");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:
"There is no known solution at this time.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"agent", value:"unix");
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:POC/RL:OF/RC:C");
  script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N");
  script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:P/RL:O/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2020-7238");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"Exploits are available");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"true");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vendor_unpatched", value:"true");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2020/01/27");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2025/08/18");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:netty");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"generated_plugin", value:"current");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_family(english:"Misc.");

  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2025 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");

  script_dependencies("ssh_get_info2.nasl", "set_linux_os_id.nasl");
  script_require_keys("Host/cpu", "Host/local_checks_enabled", "global_settings/vendor_unpatched", "Host/OS/identifier");
  script_require_ports("Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-16.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-18.04");

  exit(0);
}

if (!get_kb_item("global_settings/vendor_unpatched")) exit(0, "Unpatched Vulnerabilities Detection not active.");
if (!get_kb_item("Host/local_checks_enabled")) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
if (empty_or_null(get_one_kb_item("Host/Debian/dpkg-l"))) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);

include('linux_unpatched.inc');

var distro_constraints_array = {
  "Ubuntu Linux-18.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "18.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "netty"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-16.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "16.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "netty"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
};

var distro_constraints_values = linux_unpatched::get_distro_constraints(distro_constraints_arr:distro_constraints_array);
if (empty_or_null(distro_constraints_values)) audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
var report = linux_unpatched::check_unpatched_constraints(distro_constraints_values:distro_constraints_values);

if (!empty_or_null(report))
{
  security_report_v4(
      port       : 0,
      severity   : SECURITY_WARNING,
      extra      : report
  );
  exit(0);
}
else
{
  audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
}

Data

Build on a solid foundation with Vulners data

We provide the essential building blocks for cybersecurity solutions with comprehensive, structured, and constantly updated vulnerability and exploits data

Api

Power your application with Vulners API

The Vulners REST API offers reliable, high-performance access to vulnerability intelligence, with 99.9% SLA uptime and CDN-backed data delivery for seamless global access

App

Assess and manage vulnerabilities with Vulners tools

Built on top of Vulners' database and SDK, end-user solutions give security professionals and developers lightweight and powerful tools for vulnerability remediation