CVE-2020-5829 in Endpoint Protection
Summary
by MITRE
Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager (SEPM), prior to 14.2 RU2 MP1, may be susceptible to an out of bounds vulnerability, which is a type of issue that results in an existing application reading memory outside of the bounds of the memory that had been allocated to the program.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/12/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-5829 affects Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager (SEPM) versions prior to 14.2 RU2 MP1, representing a critical out-of-bounds memory access flaw that could potentially allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service conditions. This type of vulnerability falls under the broader category of memory corruption issues that have been extensively documented in cybersecurity literature and classified under CWE-125 as "Out-of-bounds Read" within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The flaw manifests when the SEPM application processes certain input data structures that trigger memory access violations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, creating potential exploitation opportunities for malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management practices within the SEPM's processing routines. When the application handles specific network requests or data payloads, it fails to properly validate the size or content of incoming data before attempting to access memory locations. This improper boundary checking allows attackers to craft malicious inputs that cause the program to read memory outside its intended allocation, potentially exposing sensitive data or enabling code execution. The vulnerability represents a classic buffer over-read scenario where the application's memory management logic does not adequately enforce bounds checking mechanisms that are fundamental to secure programming practices.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations relying on Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager for their cybersecurity infrastructure. Attackers could exploit this flaw remotely to gain unauthorized access to the SEPM server, potentially compromising the entire endpoint protection ecosystem. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as successful exploitation could lead to privilege escalation, data exfiltration, or complete system compromise. Organizations may experience service disruptions during exploitation attempts, while the underlying security posture of their endpoint protection infrastructure could be severely weakened, leaving endpoints vulnerable to additional attacks.
The attack surface for this vulnerability is primarily through network-based exploitation, as the SEPM server typically communicates with endpoint agents and management consoles over network protocols. Attackers could potentially craft malicious network traffic or manipulate configuration data to trigger the out-of-bounds read condition. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal privileges and could be automated, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where SEPM servers serve as central management points for security policies and threat responses. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in their risk assessment frameworks, particularly when evaluating the attack surface of centralized security management solutions.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager version 14.2 RU2 MP1 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the out-of-bounds memory access issue. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened around SEPM servers to limit potential attack vectors, while monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect unusual network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-125 and potential ATT&CK techniques such as T1059.007 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell) and T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation) highlights the need for comprehensive defensive measures including network traffic analysis, endpoint detection and response capabilities, and regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in the broader security infrastructure.