CVE-2020-7686 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

This CVE-2020-7686 article provides insights into a vulnerability affecting the rollup-plugin-dev-server package, leading to directory traversal.

Understanding CVE-2020-7686

This vulnerability impacts all versions of rollup-plugin-dev-server due to a lack of path sanitization in the readFile operation within the readFileFromContentBase function.

What is CVE-2020-7686?

CVE-2020-7686 is a directory traversal vulnerability in the rollup-plugin-dev-server package, allowing unauthorized access to files outside the intended directory.

The Impact of CVE-2020-7686

The vulnerability has a CVSS base score of 7.5 (High) with high confidentiality impact, potentially leading to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-7686

This section delves into the technical aspects of the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises from the absence of path sanitization in the readFile operation, enabling attackers to traverse directories and access unauthorized files.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: rollup-plugin-dev-server
Version: 0 (custom)

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by manipulating file paths to access sensitive files outside the intended directory.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2020-7686 requires immediate actions and long-term security measures.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update the rollup-plugin-dev-server package to a patched version, if available.
Implement input validation to sanitize file paths and prevent directory traversal attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and audit file access permissions to detect unauthorized activities.
Educate developers on secure coding practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches provided by the package maintainers to address the directory traversal vulnerability in rollup-plugin-dev-server.