CVE-2020-3481 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A vulnerability in the EGG archive parsing module in Clam AntiVirus (ClamAV) Software versions 0.102.0 - 0.102.3 could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial of service condition on an affected device due to a null pointer dereference.

Understanding CVE-2020-3481

This CVE involves a vulnerability in Clam AntiVirus (ClamAV) Software that could lead to a denial of service attack.

What is CVE-2020-3481?

The vulnerability in ClamAV allows an attacker to crash the scanning process by sending a crafted EGG file, resulting in a denial of service condition.

The Impact of CVE-2020-3481

CVSS Base Score: 7.5 (High)
Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Availability Impact: High
No impact on Confidentiality or Integrity
No privileges required
No user interaction needed

Technical Details of CVE-2020-3481

This section provides more technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability is a null pointer dereference in the EGG archive parsing module of ClamAV software versions 0.102.0 - 0.102.3.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Product: ClamAV
Vendor: Cisco
Affected Versions: Custom versions less than 0.102.4

Exploitation Mechanism

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted EGG file to the target device, causing the ClamAV scanning process to crash.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2020-3481, follow these mitigation steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade to ClamAV version 0.102.4

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update ClamAV software
Implement network security measures to prevent unauthorized access

Patching and Updates

Ensure that all systems running ClamAV are updated to version 0.102.4 to mitigate the vulnerability.