CVE-2020-1708 Vulnerability Analysis & Exploit Details

CVE-2020-1708
Vulnerability Scoring

7.0
/10
High Risk

If left unpatched, CVE-2020-1708 could lead to major system disruptions or data loss.

Attack Complexity Details

  • Attack Complexity: High
    Exploits require significant effort and special conditions.
  • Attack Vector: Local
    Vulnerability requires local system access.
  • Privileges Required: Low
    Some privileges are necessary to exploit the vulnerability.
  • Scope: Unchanged
    Exploit remains within the originally vulnerable component.
  • User Interaction: None
    No user interaction is necessary for exploitation.

CVE-2020-1708 Details

Status: Modified

Last updated: 🕦 12 Feb 2023, 23:40 UTC
Originally published on: 🕘 07 Feb 2020, 21:15 UTC

Time between publication and last update: 1101 days

CVSS Release: version 3

CVSS3 Source

nvd@nist.gov

CVSS3 Type

Primary

CVSS3 Vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVE-2020-1708 Vulnerability Summary

CVE-2020-1708: It has been found in openshift-enterprise version 3.11 and all openshift-enterprise versions from 4.1 to, including 4.3, that multiple containers modify the permissions of /etc/passwd to make them modifiable by users other than root. An attacker with access to the running container can exploit this to modify /etc/passwd to add a user and escalate their privileges. This CVE is specific to the openshift/mysql-apb.

Assessing the Risk of CVE-2020-1708

Access Complexity Graph

The exploitability of CVE-2020-1708 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).

Exploitability Analysis for CVE-2020-1708

This vulnerability, CVE-2020-1708, requires a high level of attack complexity and low privileges, making it difficult but not impossible to exploit. Organizations should ensure robust security configurations to mitigate risks.

Understanding AC and PR

A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.

Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.

Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.

CVSS Score Breakdown Chart

Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2020-1708, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.

CIA Impact Analysis

Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2020-1708, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.

  • Confidentiality: High
    Exploiting CVE-2020-1708 can result in unauthorized access to sensitive data, severely compromising data privacy.
  • Integrity: High
    CVE-2020-1708 could allow unauthorized modifications to data, potentially affecting system reliability and trust.
  • Availability: High
    CVE-2020-1708 can disrupt system operations, potentially causing complete denial of service (DoS).

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

The EPSS score estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the near future.

EPSS Score: 0.07% (probability of exploit)

EPSS Percentile: 33.81% (lower percentile = lower relative risk)
This vulnerability is less risky than approximately 66.19% of others.

CVE-2020-1708 References

External References

CWE Common Weakness Enumeration

CWE-269

CAPEC Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification

  • Privilege Abuse CAPEC-122 An adversary is able to exploit features of the target that should be reserved for privileged users or administrators but are exposed to use by lower or non-privileged accounts. Access to sensitive information and functionality must be controlled to ensure that only authorized users are able to access these resources.
  • Privilege Escalation CAPEC-233 An adversary exploits a weakness enabling them to elevate their privilege and perform an action that they are not supposed to be authorized to perform.
  • Restful Privilege Elevation CAPEC-58 An adversary identifies a Rest HTTP (Get, Put, Delete) style permission method allowing them to perform various malicious actions upon server data due to lack of access control mechanisms implemented within the application service accepting HTTP messages.

Vulnerable Configurations

  • cpe:2.3:a:redhat:openshift_container_platform:3.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:redhat:openshift_container_platform:3.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:redhat:openshift_container_platform:4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:redhat:openshift_container_platform:4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:redhat:openshift_container_platform:4.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:redhat:openshift_container_platform:4.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:redhat:openshift_container_platform:4.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:redhat:openshift_container_platform:4.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Protect Your Infrastructure against CVE-2020-1708: Combat Critical CVE Threats

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