CVE-2020-11581 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

An issue was discovered in Pulse Secure Pulse Connect Secure (PCS) through 2020-04-06. The applet in tncc.jar, executed on macOS, Linux, and Solaris clients when a Host Checker policy is enforced, allows a man-in-the-middle attacker to perform OS command injection attacks via shell metacharacters to the doCustomRemediateInstructions method.

Understanding CVE-2020-11581

This CVE identifies a vulnerability in Pulse Secure Pulse Connect Secure (PCS) that enables a man-in-the-middle attacker to execute OS command injection attacks on client systems.

What is CVE-2020-11581?

The vulnerability in tncc.jar allows attackers to inject OS commands on macOS, Linux, and Solaris clients by exploiting the doCustomRemediateInstructions method.

The Impact of CVE-2020-11581

The vulnerability permits a man-in-the-middle attacker to execute arbitrary OS commands on the client system, potentially leading to unauthorized access, data theft, or system compromise.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-11581

This section provides technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises from the use of Runtime.getRuntime().exec() in the tncc.jar applet, enabling the execution of OS commands by an attacker.

Affected Systems and Versions

Pulse Secure Pulse Connect Secure (PCS) through 2020-04-06

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability is exploited by injecting shell metacharacters to the doCustomRemediateInstructions method, allowing unauthorized OS command execution.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2020-11581 requires immediate actions and long-term security measures.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply security patches provided by Pulse Secure promptly
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activities
Implement strong network segmentation to limit the attack surface

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch all software and systems
Conduct security training for employees to recognize and report suspicious activities
Implement multi-factor authentication and strong password policies

Patching and Updates

Refer to Pulse Secure's security advisories for the latest patches and updates