CVE-2020-1988 : Security Advisory and Response

A local privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Global Protect Agent due to an unquoted search path vulnerability.

Understanding CVE-2020-1988

Global Protect Agent is affected by a security issue that allows authenticated local users on Windows to gain system privileges.

What is CVE-2020-1988?

An unquoted search path vulnerability in the Windows release of Global Protect Agent enables local users with specific file creation privileges to escalate their access to gain system privileges.

The Impact of CVE-2020-1988

This vulnerability can be exploited by authenticated local users on Windows machines to elevate their privileges, potentially leading to unauthorized system access.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-1988

Global Protect Agent version 5.0 before 5.0.5 and version 4.1 before 4.1.13 on Windows are vulnerable to this issue.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw allows authenticated local Windows users with file creation privileges on the OS disk or 'Program Files' directory to gain system privileges.

Affected Systems and Versions

Platforms: Windows
Products: Global Protect Agent
Versions:
5.0 (affected up to 5.0.5)
4.1 (affected up to 4.1.13)

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability requires local user authentication and specific file creation privileges on critical system directories.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take:

Remove file creation privileges on the root of the OS disk (C:) and 'Program Files' directory from unprivileged users.
Upgrade to Global Protect Agent 5.0.5, 4.1.13, or later versions to mitigate the vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly review and adjust user privileges to minimize exposure.
Implement least privilege access controls to restrict user capabilities.

Patching and Updates

Ensure Global Protect Agent is updated to version 5.0.5, 4.1.13, or newer to address this vulnerability.