CVE-2020-36240 : What You Need to Know

Crowd before version 4.0.4 and from version 4.1.0 before 4.1.2 by Atlassian allowed unauthenticated remote attackers to read arbitrary files within WEB-INF and META-INF directories due to an incorrect path access check.

Understanding CVE-2020-36240

The vulnerability in Crowd software by Atlassian allowed unauthorized access to sensitive files, posing a risk to the confidentiality and integrity of the system.

What is CVE-2020-36240?

The ResourceDownloadRewriteRule class in Crowd had a security flaw that enabled attackers to access arbitrary files without authentication, potentially leading to unauthorized data disclosure.

The Impact of CVE-2020-36240

This vulnerability could be exploited by remote attackers to read sensitive files within specific directories, compromising the confidentiality of the system and potentially exposing critical information.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-36240

Crowd software versions were affected as follows:

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability allowed unauthenticated remote attackers to read arbitrary files within WEB-INF and META-INF directories by exploiting an incorrect path access check.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Crowd
Vendor: Atlassian
Versions Affected:
Crowd < 4.0.4
Crowd >= 4.1.0 and < 4.1.2

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers could exploit this vulnerability remotely without authentication, gaining unauthorized access to sensitive files within specific directories.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2020-36240, follow these steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Crowd software to version 4.0.4 or higher to mitigate the vulnerability.
Implement proper access controls and authentication mechanisms to restrict unauthorized access to sensitive directories.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and audit file access permissions to detect unauthorized activities.
Conduct security assessments and penetration testing to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches and updates provided by Atlassian promptly to ensure the software is protected against known vulnerabilities.