CVE-2020-7862 in Remote Control
Summary
by MITRE • 06/24/2021
A vulnerability in agent program of HelpU remote control solution could allow an authenticated remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands This vulnerability is due to insufficient input santization when communicating customer process.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/26/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-7862 resides within the agent program of the HelpU remote control solution, representing a critical security flaw that enables authenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on affected systems. This weakness fundamentally compromises the integrity and confidentiality of remote desktop environments, as it allows malicious actors who have already established authentication credentials to escalate their privileges and gain unrestricted access to target machines. The vulnerability specifically manifests in the agent's communication protocols where customer processes are handled, creating an attack surface that can be exploited to bypass normal security controls and execute malicious code with the privileges of the authenticated user.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization mechanisms within the HelpU agent software, which fails to properly validate and sanitize data received from customer processes during communication sessions. This insufficient sanitization creates a command injection vulnerability where attacker-controlled input can be interpreted and executed as legitimate commands by the vulnerable system. The flaw aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-94, which respectively address command injection and code injection vulnerabilities that occur when untrusted data is processed without proper validation. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be classified under the MITRE ATT&CK framework as a command and scripting interpreter technique, specifically leveraging the execution of arbitrary code through compromised remote access tools.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-7862 is severe and multifaceted, as it enables attackers to perform complete system compromise once they have authenticated access to the HelpU solution. An attacker could potentially establish persistent backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, deploy additional malware, or use the compromised system as a pivot point for further attacks within the network. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to target systems, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that rely on remote desktop solutions for business operations. This flaw undermines the fundamental security assumptions of remote access solutions, where authentication is expected to provide reasonable protection against unauthorized access and command execution.
Organizations affected by CVE-2020-7862 should immediately implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to protect their systems from exploitation. The primary recommendation involves applying vendor-provided patches or updates that address the input sanitization issues within the HelpU agent software. Additionally, network segmentation should be implemented to limit access to remote control systems, and strict access controls should be enforced to minimize the attack surface. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous command execution patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The implementation of principle of least privilege access ensures that even if exploitation occurs, the attacker's capabilities are limited. Organizations should also consider deploying network intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious communication patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other remote access solutions throughout the organization's infrastructure.