CVE-2020-36790 is a vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel, specifically related to the nvmet (NVMe target) subsystem. The issue is a memory leak caused by the failure to free the 'new_model_number' resource properly. This memory leak occurs when the kernel code neglects to release allocated memory, leading to gradual consumption of system memory over time. While the description is brief, the nvmet subsystem is responsible for handling NVMe over Fabrics targets, which are used in high-performance storage networking environments. A memory leak in this subsystem could degrade system performance or stability, particularly on systems heavily utilizing NVMe over Fabrics. The vulnerability has been addressed by correcting the code to free the allocated memory appropriately. There are no known exploits in the wild, and no CVSS score has been assigned. The affected versions are identified by specific commit hashes, indicating this is a code-level fix in the Linux kernel source. The vulnerability does not appear to require user interaction or authentication to manifest, but exploitation would likely require access to systems running the vulnerable kernel with nvmet enabled and in use.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2020-36790 is primarily related to system stability and resource exhaustion rather than direct compromise or data breach. Organizations operating data centers, cloud infrastructure, or storage networks that leverage Linux servers with NVMe over Fabrics targets could experience degraded performance or potential denial of service due to memory leaks if the vulnerability is exploited or triggered over time. This could affect service availability and operational continuity, especially in sectors relying on high-performance storage such as financial services, telecommunications, research institutions, and cloud service providers. However, since there are no known exploits and the vulnerability is a memory leak rather than a code execution or privilege escalation flaw, the risk of direct security breach is low. The impact is more operational and related to system reliability.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should: 1) Identify Linux systems running kernels with the affected nvmet code, particularly those using NVMe over Fabrics targets. 2) Apply the latest Linux kernel patches or updates that include the fix for CVE-2020-36790 as soon as they become available from trusted Linux distributions or kernel maintainers. 3) Monitor system memory usage on affected systems for unusual growth patterns that could indicate a memory leak. 4) Limit exposure by restricting access to NVMe over Fabrics targets to trusted and authenticated users or systems, reducing the risk of triggering the leak. 5) Incorporate this vulnerability into regular vulnerability management and patching cycles, ensuring timely updates. 6) For environments where immediate patching is not feasible, consider temporarily disabling the nvmet subsystem if it is not critical to operations, to prevent potential memory leaks.