CVE-2016-20012
MEDIUM 5.3EPSS 5.3%
OpenSSH through 8.7 allows remote attackers, who have a suspicion that a certain combination of username and public key is known to an SSH server, to test whether this suspicion is correct. This occurs because a challenge is sent only when that combination could be valid for a login session. NOTE: the vendor does not recognize user enumeration as a vulnerability for this product
- CVSS v3.1 NVD
- 5.3 MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - CVSS v2.0 NVD
- 4.3 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N - EPSS
- 5.33% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, 93rd percentile
- Published
- 2021-09-15
- Updated
- 2026-05-29
Proof-of-concept exploits (3)
- https://rushter.com/blog/public-ssh-keys/
- aztec-eagle/cve-2016-200120★ · 2025-05-29
- arturo-b-cmu/cve-2016-200120★ · 2025-05-29
Security advisories
- openssh/openssh-portable/blob/d0fffc88c8fe90c1815c6f4097bc8cbcabc0f3dd/auth2-pubkey.c#L26…
- https://rushter.com/blog/public-ssh-keys
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20211014-0005
- https://utcc.utoronto.ca/~cks/space/blog/tech/SSHKeysAreInfoLeak
- https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2018/08/24/1