---
id: CVE-2020-12062
title: >-
  The scp client in OpenSSH 8.2 incorrectly sends duplicate responses to the
  server upon a utimes system call failure, which allows a malicious
  unprivileged user on the remote server to overwrite arbitrary files in the
  client's download di…
summary: >-
  The scp client in OpenSSH 8.2 incorrectly sends duplicate responses to the
  server upon a utimes system call failure, which allows a malicious
  unprivileged user on the remote server to overwrite arbitrary files in the
  client's download di…
severity: high
cvss: 7.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N'
cwe:
  - CWE-20
vendor: openbsd
product: openssh
affected:
  - openssh = 8.2
published: '2020-06-01'
updated: '2026-10-14'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-14T10:17:25.737'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-12062'
references:
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/openssh/openssh-portable/commit/955854cafca88e0cdcd3d09ca1ad4ada465364a1
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/openssh/openssh-portable/commit/aad87b88fc2536b1ea023213729aaf4eaabe1894
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: 'https://www.openssh.com/txt/release-8.3'
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: 'https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/05/27/1'
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/openssh/openssh-portable/commit/955854cafca88e0cdcd3d09ca1ad4ada465364a1
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/openssh/openssh-portable/commit/aad87b88fc2536b1ea023213729aaf4eaabe1894
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://www.openssh.com/txt/release-8.3'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/05/27/1'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-398330.html'
    label: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
tags:
  - nvd
epss: 0.02178
epssPercentile: 0.81874
ingestedAt: '2026-10-14T10:25:41.175Z'
---

## Overview

The scp client in OpenSSH 8.2 incorrectly sends duplicate responses to the server upon a utimes system call failure, which allows a malicious unprivileged user on the remote server to overwrite arbitrary files in the client's download directory by creating a crafted subdirectory anywhere on the remote server. The victim must use the command scp -rp to download a file hierarchy containing, anywhere inside, this crafted subdirectory. NOTE: the vendor points out that "this attack can achieve no more than a hostile peer is already able to achieve within the scp protocol" and "utimes does not fail under normal circumstances.

## Affected

- `openssh = 8.2`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.