CVE-2020-17518 Vulnerability Analysis & Exploit Details

CVE-2020-17518
Vulnerability Scoring

7.5
/10
Very High Risk

Highly exploitable, CVE-2020-17518 poses a critical security risk that could lead to severe breaches.

Attack Complexity Details

  • Attack Complexity: Low
    Exploits can be performed without significant complexity or special conditions.
  • Attack Vector: Network
    Vulnerability is exploitable over a network without physical access.
  • Privileges Required: None
    No privileges are required for exploitation.
  • Scope: Unchanged
    Exploit remains within the originally vulnerable component.
  • User Interaction: None
    No user interaction is necessary for exploitation.

CVE-2020-17518 Details

Status: Modified

Last updated: 🕒 07 Nov 2023, 03:19 UTC
Originally published on: 🕛 05 Jan 2021, 12:15 UTC

Time between publication and last update: 1035 days

CVSS Release: version 3

CVSS3 Source

nvd@nist.gov

CVSS3 Type

Primary

CVSS3 Vector

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

CVE-2020-17518 Vulnerability Summary

CVE-2020-17518: Apache Flink 1.5.1 introduced a REST handler that allows you to write an uploaded file to an arbitrary location on the local file system, through a maliciously modified HTTP HEADER. The files can be written to any location accessible by Flink 1.5.1. All users should upgrade to Flink 1.11.3 or 1.12.0 if their Flink instance(s) are exposed. The issue was fixed in commit a5264a6f41524afe8ceadf1d8ddc8c80f323ebc4 from apache/flink:master.

Assessing the Risk of CVE-2020-17518

Access Complexity Graph

The exploitability of CVE-2020-17518 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-2020-17518

With low attack complexity and no required privileges, CVE-2020-17518 is an easy target for cybercriminals. Organizations should prioritize immediate mitigation measures to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.

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-2020-17518, 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-2020-17518, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.

  • Confidentiality: None
    CVE-2020-17518 has no significant impact on data confidentiality.
  • Integrity: High
    CVE-2020-17518 could allow unauthorized modifications to data, potentially affecting system reliability and trust.
  • Availability: None
    CVE-2020-17518 does not impact system availability.

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

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

EPSS Score: 95.27% (probability of exploit)

EPSS Percentile: 99.53% (lower percentile = lower relative risk)
This vulnerability is less risky than approximately 0.46999999999999886% of others.

CVE-2020-17518 References

External References

CWE Common Weakness Enumeration

CWE-23

CAPEC Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification

  • Relative Path Traversal CAPEC-139 An attacker exploits a weakness in input validation on the target by supplying a specially constructed path utilizing dot and slash characters for the purpose of obtaining access to arbitrary files or resources. An attacker modifies a known path on the target in order to reach material that is not available through intended channels. These attacks normally involve adding additional path separators (/ or \) and/or dots (.), or encodings thereof, in various combinations in order to reach parent directories or entirely separate trees of the target's directory structure.
  • Manipulating Web Input to File System Calls CAPEC-76 An attacker manipulates inputs to the target software which the target software passes to file system calls in the OS. The goal is to gain access to, and perhaps modify, areas of the file system that the target software did not intend to be accessible.

Vulnerable Configurations

  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.1:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.1:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.1:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.1:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.1:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.1:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.2:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.2:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.2:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.2:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.2:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.2:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.3:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.3:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.3:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.3:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.4:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.4:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.4:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.4:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.5:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.5:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.5:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.5:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.6:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.6:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.6:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.5.6:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.1:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.1:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.2:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.2:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.2:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.2:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.3:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.3:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.3:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.3:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.4:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.4:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.4:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.6.4:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.7.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.7.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.7.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.7.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.7.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.7.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.7.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.7.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.7.1:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.7.1:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.7.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.7.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.7.1:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.7.1:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.7.2:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.7.2:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.7.2:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.7.2:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.0:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.0:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.1:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.1:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.2:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.2:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.2:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.2:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.3:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.3:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.3:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.3:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.3:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.3:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.3:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.8.3:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.9.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.9.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.9.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.9.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.9.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.9.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.9.1:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.9.1:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.9.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.9.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.9.2:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.9.2:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.9.2:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.9.2:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.9.3:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.9.3:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.9.3:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.9.3:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.10.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.10.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.10.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.10.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.10.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.10.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.10.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.10.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.10.1:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.10.1:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.10.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.10.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.10.1:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.10.1:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.10.1:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.10.1:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.10.2:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.10.2:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.10.2:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.10.2:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.10.2:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.10.2:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.11.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.11.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.11.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.11.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.11.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.11.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.11.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.11.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.11.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.11.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.11.1:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.11.1:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.11.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.11.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.11.2:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.11.2:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.11.2:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:apache:flink:1.11.2:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*

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