CVE-2020-36227 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis
Discover the impact of CVE-2020-36227, a flaw in OpenLDAP before 2.4.57 causing an infinite loop in slapd, leading to denial of service. Learn about affected systems, exploitation, and mitigation steps.
A flaw was discovered in OpenLDAP before 2.4.57 leading to an infinite loop in slapd with the cancel_extop Cancel operation, resulting in denial of service.
Understanding CVE-2020-36227
This CVE involves a vulnerability in OpenLDAP that could be exploited to cause a denial of service.
What is CVE-2020-36227?
The vulnerability in OpenLDAP before version 2.4.57 triggers an infinite loop in slapd when processing the cancel_extop Cancel operation, potentially leading to a denial of service attack.
The Impact of CVE-2020-36227
The exploitation of this vulnerability could result in a denial of service, disrupting the availability of the affected OpenLDAP service.
Technical Details of CVE-2020-36227
This section provides more in-depth technical information about the CVE.
Vulnerability Description
The flaw in OpenLDAP before version 2.4.57 causes an infinite loop in slapd during the cancel_extop Cancel operation, which can be abused by attackers to launch denial of service attacks.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Product: OpenLDAP
- Vendor: N/A
- Versions affected: All versions before 2.4.57
Exploitation Mechanism
Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted cancel_extop Cancel operation request to the OpenLDAP server, triggering the infinite loop in slapd and causing a denial of service.
Mitigation and Prevention
Protecting systems from CVE-2020-36227 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.
Immediate Steps to Take
- Apply the security update provided by OpenLDAP to patch the vulnerability.
- Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activities targeting the OpenLDAP service.
Long-Term Security Practices
- Regularly update and patch software to mitigate known vulnerabilities.
- Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential attacks on critical services.
- Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify and address security weaknesses.
Patching and Updates
Ensure that OpenLDAP is updated to version 2.4.57 or newer to eliminate the vulnerability and enhance the security of the LDAP service.