Medium severity · published Feb 5, 2026
CVE-2020-37127
dnsmasq-utils 2.79-1 - 'dhcp_release' Denial of Service
5.5
CVSS
0.2%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
Dnsmasq-utils 2.79-1 contains a buffer overflow vulnerability in the dhcp_release utility that allows attackers to cause a denial of service by supplying excessive input. Attackers can trigger a core dump and terminate the dhcp_release process by sending a crafted input string longer than 16 characters.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.2% · higher than 11% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
DN
dnsmasq-utils · dnsmasq
2.79 · source: vendor
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-37127
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-37127
launchpad.net
https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/dnsmasq/2.79-1
www.exploit-db.com
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/48301
www.vulncheck.com
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/dnsmasq-utils-dhcprelease-denial-of-service