CVE-2020-1722 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

A flaw in all ipa versions 4.x.x through 4.8.0 could lead to denial of service due to memory and CPU exhaustion when a very long password is sent to the server.

Understanding CVE-2020-1722

This CVE impacts Red Hat's ipa versions 4.x.x through 4.8.0, potentially causing a denial of service due to resource exhaustion from processing extremely long passwords.

What is CVE-2020-1722?

The vulnerability in ipa allows an attacker to disrupt system availability by overwhelming the server with an exceptionally long password input.

The Impact of CVE-2020-1722

The main risk posed by this vulnerability is to system availability. An attacker could render the website unresponsive by exploiting the flaw.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-1722

A detailed look at the technical aspects of this CVE.

Vulnerability Description

Sending a long password (over or equal to 1,000,000 characters) could deplete memory and CPU resources, causing denial of service.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected versions: all ipa versions 4.x.x through 4.8.0 by Red Hat.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attack Complexity: High
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: High on availability

Mitigation and Prevention

Steps to address and mitigate the CVE-2020-1722 vulnerability.

Immediate Steps to Take

Monitor server resource usage closely for any unusual spikes or patterns that may indicate an ongoing attack.
Consider implementing rate limiting for password input to prevent excessive resource consumption.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch the ipa software to ensure the latest security fixes are in place.
Educate users on creating passwords of reasonable length to minimize the risk of resource depletion.
Implement proactive monitoring and alerting systems to detect and respond to resource exhaustion attacks.
Conduct regular security audits to identify and address any potential vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches provided by Red Hat promptly to address the vulnerability in ipa versions 4.x.x through 4.8.0.