CVE-2020-5834 in Endpoint Protection Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager, prior to 14.3, may be susceptible to a directory traversal attack that could allow a remote actor to determine the size of files in the directory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/12/2020
Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager version 14.3 and earlier contains a directory traversal vulnerability that presents significant security risks to organizations relying on this endpoint protection solution. This weakness allows remote attackers to exploit the system's file handling mechanisms to determine file sizes within the directory structure, potentially enabling further reconnaissance activities that could lead to more severe compromises. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper handling of file path references within the web interface components of the management console.
The technical flaw manifests in the way the system processes user-supplied input when accessing file information through the web-based management interface. Attackers can manipulate directory traversal sequences to navigate the file system hierarchy and retrieve file size information without proper authorization. This vulnerability specifically affects the file size determination functionality rather than direct file access, but it provides crucial information that could be leveraged in subsequent attacks. The weakness is categorized under CWE-22 which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks. These attacks exploit insufficient security controls to access files and directories outside of the intended scope.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with valuable reconnaissance data that can inform more sophisticated attacks. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially map the directory structure of the management server, identify sensitive configuration files, and determine the size of various system files that might contain valuable information about the environment. This reconnaissance capability aligns with techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the reconnaissance phase, specifically T1069.001 for Permission Groups Discovery and T1083 for File and Directory Discovery. The vulnerability could also serve as a stepping stone for privilege escalation or lateral movement within the network environment.
Organizations should immediately apply the security patch released by Symantec for version 14.3 to address this directory traversal vulnerability. The patch implements proper input validation and sanitization mechanisms that prevent malicious path traversal sequences from being processed by the system. Additionally, network segmentation should be implemented to limit access to the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager console to authorized personnel only. Regular security assessments should include verification that the patched version is properly deployed across all management servers. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also implement web application firewalls to filter suspicious path traversal attempts and consider disabling unnecessary file information retrieval functions within the management interface to reduce the attack surface.