CVE-2020-5822 in Endpoint Protection
Summary
by MITRE
Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) and Symantec Endpoint Protection Small Business Edition (SEP SBE), prior to 14.2 RU2 MP1 and prior to 14.2.5569.2100 respectively, may be susceptible to a privilege escalation vulnerability, which is a type of issue whereby an attacker may attempt to compromise the software application to gain elevated access to resources that are normally protected from an application or user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/12/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-5822 affects Symantec Endpoint Protection and Symantec Endpoint Protection Small Business Edition products, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw that undermines the security posture of these widely deployed endpoint protection solutions. This vulnerability resides within the software's privilege management mechanisms, creating a pathway for unauthorized users to elevate their privileges and gain access to protected system resources. The affected versions include all releases prior to Symantec Endpoint Protection 14.2 RU2 MP1 and Symantec Endpoint Protection Small Business Edition 14.2.5569.2100, indicating that organizations running these older versions face significant security risks. The vulnerability's classification as a privilege escalation issue aligns with CWE-269, which specifically addresses "Improper Privilege Management" and represents a fundamental weakness in access control mechanisms that can lead to complete system compromise.
The technical flaw manifests through improper handling of privilege levels within the Symantec Endpoint Protection service components, allowing local attackers with minimal privileges to exploit weaknesses in the privilege escalation process. This typically occurs when the software fails to properly validate or enforce privilege boundaries during critical operations, enabling an attacker to manipulate system calls or service interactions to gain elevated access. The vulnerability likely stems from insufficient input validation or improper privilege checking mechanisms within the SEP service architecture, potentially involving weaknesses in Windows service privilege management or kernel-mode driver interactions. Attackers can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary code with system-level privileges, effectively bypassing the intended security controls that protect critical system resources and data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it provides attackers with a pathway to achieve complete system compromise without requiring additional attack vectors or complex exploitation techniques. Once an attacker successfully exploits this privilege escalation vulnerability, they can access sensitive system files, modify security configurations, install malicious software, and potentially establish persistent backdoors within the endpoint environment. This compromise directly affects the core security functionality of Symantec Endpoint Protection, which is designed to protect against malware and unauthorized access, creating a dangerous situation where the very protection software becomes a vector for further attacks. Organizations may experience data breaches, system corruption, and complete loss of endpoint security control, particularly affecting enterprise environments where SEP is deployed across multiple systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-5822 should prioritize immediate software updates to the patched versions of Symantec Endpoint Protection and Symantec Endpoint Protection Small Business Edition. Organizations must ensure all systems are updated to Symantec Endpoint Protection 14.2 RU2 MP1 or later, and Symantec Endpoint Protection Small Business Edition 14.2.5569.2100 or later, respectively. Additionally, security teams should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. System administrators should monitor for suspicious activities and implement enhanced logging to detect privilege escalation attempts. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers "Local Port Forwarding" and related privilege escalation methods, suggesting that defensive measures should include monitoring for anomalous privilege elevation activities and implementing principle of least privilege configurations for SEP service accounts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify systems running vulnerable versions and ensure comprehensive protection coverage across the organization's endpoint infrastructure.