CVE-2020-13848 : Security Advisory and Response
Learn about CVE-2020-13848, a vulnerability in Portable UPnP SDK (libupnp) 1.12.1 and earlier versions allowing remote attackers to cause a denial of service. Find out how to mitigate and prevent exploitation.
Portable UPnP SDK (aka libupnp) 1.12.1 and earlier versions allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) through a crafted SSDP message due to a NULL pointer dereference in specific functions.
Understanding CVE-2020-13848
This CVE involves a vulnerability in the Portable UPnP SDK (libupnp) that can be exploited remotely to trigger a denial of service attack.
What is CVE-2020-13848?
The vulnerability in libupnp versions 1.12.1 and earlier enables attackers to crash systems by sending malicious SSDP messages that exploit a NULL pointer dereference in certain functions.
The Impact of CVE-2020-13848
The exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to a denial of service, causing affected systems to crash and become unresponsive.
Technical Details of CVE-2020-13848
This section provides more in-depth technical insights into the CVE-2020-13848 vulnerability.
Vulnerability Description
The issue arises from a NULL pointer dereference in the functions FindServiceControlURLPath and FindServiceEventURLPath within the genlib/service_table/service_table.c file.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Vulnerable versions: libupnp 1.12.1 and earlier
- Systems using the affected versions of libupnp are at risk of exploitation.
Exploitation Mechanism
- Attackers can exploit this vulnerability remotely by sending specially crafted SSDP messages to trigger the NULL pointer dereference, leading to a system crash.
Mitigation and Prevention
Protecting systems from CVE-2020-13848 requires immediate actions and long-term security measures.
Immediate Steps to Take
- Apply security updates or patches provided by the vendor to mitigate the vulnerability.
- Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activity targeting the affected services.
Long-Term Security Practices
- Regularly update and patch software to address known vulnerabilities.
- Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential attacks.
- Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify and address security gaps.
Patching and Updates
- Stay informed about security advisories and updates from the libupnp project or relevant vendors.
- Apply patches promptly to ensure systems are protected against known vulnerabilities.