What is CVE-2020-36444?

CVE-2020-36444 is a high-severity race condition vulnerability in async-coap (rust), affecting versions <= 0.1.0. No fixed version is listed yet. Multiple concurrent operations access a shared resource without proper synchronization, producing unpredictable results depending on timing.

How severe is CVE-2020-36444?

CVE-2020-36444 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.

Which versions of async-coap are affected by CVE-2020-36444?

async-coap (rust) versions <= 0.1.0 is affected.

Is there a fix for CVE-2020-36444?

No fixed version is listed for CVE-2020-36444 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.

Is CVE-2020-36444 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2020-36444 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk.

What actually determines whether CVE-2020-36444 is exploitable, and how bad it is?

Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.

CVE-2020-36444 in async-coap

Q: How severe is CVE-2020-36444?

CVE-2020-36444 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.

Q: Which versions of async-coap are affected by CVE-2020-36444?

async-coap (rust) versions <= 0.1.0 is affected.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2020-36444?

No fixed version is listed for CVE-2020-36444 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.

Q: Is CVE-2020-36444 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2020-36444 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk.

Q: What actually determines whether CVE-2020-36444 is exploitable, and how bad it is?

Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2020-36444?

No fixed version is listed yet. In the interim: Keep the dependency up to date. In application code, use atomic operations or locks when accessing shared state.

Summary

Data races in async-coap

An issue was discovered in the async-coap crate through 2020-12-08 for Rust.
Affected versions of this crate implement Send/Sync for ArcGuard<RC, T> with no trait bounds on RC. This allows users to send RC: !Send to other threads and also allows users to concurrently access Rc: !Sync from multiple threads.

This can result in memory corruption from data race or other undefined behavior caused by sending T: !Send to other threads (e.g. dropping MutexGuard<T> in another thread that didn't lock its mutex).

Impact

Multiple concurrent operations access a shared resource without proper synchronization, producing unpredictable results depending on timing. Typical impact: TOCTOU exploits, data corruption, or privilege escalation.

CVE-2020-36444 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. No fixed version is listed yet, so configuration controls and monitoring matter more in the interim.

Affected versions

async-coap (<= 0.1.0)

Security releases

Not available

Kodem intelligence

Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.

Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.

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Remediation advice

No fixed version is listed for CVE-2020-36444 yet.

In the interim: Keep the dependency up to date. In application code, use atomic operations or locks when accessing shared state.

Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-36444? CVE-2020-36444 is a high-severity race condition vulnerability in async-coap (rust), affecting versions <= 0.1.0. No fixed version is listed yet. Multiple concurrent operations access a shared resource without proper synchronization, producing unpredictable results depending on timing.
How severe is CVE-2020-36444? CVE-2020-36444 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
Which versions of async-coap are affected by CVE-2020-36444? async-coap (rust) versions <= 0.1.0 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2020-36444? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2020-36444 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
Is CVE-2020-36444 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2020-36444 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
What actually determines whether CVE-2020-36444 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
How do I fix CVE-2020-36444? No fixed version is listed yet. In the interim: Keep the dependency up to date. In application code, use atomic operations or locks when accessing shared state.