CVE-2020-7920 in Monitoring
Summary
by MITRE
pmm-server in Percona Monitoring and Management (PMM) 2.2.x before 2.2.1 allows unauthenticated denial of service.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/28/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-7920 affects the pmm-server component within Percona Monitoring and Management version 2.2.x prior to 2.2.1. This issue represents a significant security weakness that enables unauthorized actors to disrupt the availability of monitoring services without requiring authentication credentials. The vulnerability resides in the server's handling of incoming requests and its failure to properly validate or limit access to critical system resources. This flaw specifically impacts the availability aspect of the security triad by creating a potential vector for denial of service attacks that can compromise the operational integrity of monitoring infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the pmm-server application. Attackers can exploit this weakness by sending specially crafted requests that cause the server to consume excessive resources or enter an unstable state, effectively rendering the monitoring service unavailable to legitimate users. The lack of authentication requirements for triggering this condition makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by anyone with network access to the affected system. This type of vulnerability typically falls under CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and may also relate to CWE-400, representing unchecked resource consumption. The attack pattern aligns with techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1499 category for network denial of service, where adversaries target network infrastructure to disrupt availability.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-7920 extends beyond simple service disruption as it can severely compromise the monitoring capabilities of organizations relying on Percona Monitoring and Management. When exploited, this vulnerability can lead to extended periods of unavailability for critical infrastructure monitoring, potentially masking other security incidents or performance issues within the monitored systems. Organizations may experience significant operational downtime while attempting to restore monitoring functionality, and the lack of authentication requirements means that attacks can occur without detection, allowing malicious actors to maintain persistent disruption of services. The vulnerability affects the entire PMM ecosystem and can impact database performance monitoring, alerting systems, and automated response mechanisms that depend on the availability of the pmm-server component.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to PMM 2.2.1 or later versions where this vulnerability has been addressed through proper access control implementation and resource validation. Network-level protections such as firewall rules and access control lists should be configured to restrict access to the pmm-server endpoints until the upgrade is complete. Additionally, implementing monitoring for unusual traffic patterns or resource consumption spikes can help detect exploitation attempts. Security teams should also review their existing access control policies and ensure that all monitoring infrastructure components are properly secured against unauthorized access. The remediation process should include thorough testing of the updated system to verify that the vulnerability has been fully resolved while maintaining existing monitoring functionality. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as intrusion detection systems and regular vulnerability assessments to prevent similar issues from occurring in other components of their monitoring infrastructure.