CVE-2020-36320 : What You Need to Know

Regular expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) in EmailValidator class in Vaadin 7

Understanding CVE-2020-36320

This CVE involves an unsafe validation RegEx in the EmailValidator class in com.vaadin:vaadin-server versions 7.0.0 through 7.7.21, allowing attackers to exploit it for uncontrolled resource consumption.

What is CVE-2020-36320?

The vulnerability in the EmailValidator class of Vaadin 7 versions 7.0.0 through 7.7.21 enables attackers to cause uncontrolled resource consumption by submitting malicious email addresses.

The Impact of CVE-2020-36320

CVSS Base Score: 7.5 (High)
Attack Vector: Network
Availability Impact: High
Attack Complexity: Low
CWE ID: CWE-400 Uncontrolled Resource Consumption

Technical Details of CVE-2020-36320

This section provides more in-depth technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from an unsafe validation RegEx in the EmailValidator class of Vaadin 7, allowing for potential resource consumption attacks.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Products: Vaadin, vaadin-server
Affected Versions: 7.0.0 through 7.7.21

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by submitting specially crafted malicious email addresses, triggering uncontrolled resource consumption.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2020-36320 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Vaadin and vaadin-server to versions beyond 7.7.21
Implement input validation to detect and block malicious email addresses

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and update security patches
Conduct security audits to identify and address vulnerabilities

Patching and Updates

Ensure timely installation of security patches and updates to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability.