CVE-2020-7982 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

An issue was discovered in OpenWrt 18.06.0 to 18.06.6 and 19.07.0, and LEDE 17.01.0 to 17.01.7, allowing a man-in-the-middle attacker to inject arbitrary package payloads.

Understanding CVE-2020-7982

This CVE identifies a vulnerability in OpenWrt and LEDE versions that could be exploited by attackers.

What is CVE-2020-7982?

The bug in the opkg package manager before 2020-01-25 hinders correct parsing of embedded checksums in the signed repository index, enabling attackers to inject unauthorized package payloads.

The Impact of CVE-2020-7982

The vulnerability permits a man-in-the-middle attacker to introduce malicious package payloads into the system without verification, potentially leading to unauthorized code execution.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-7982

This section delves into the specifics of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw in the opkg package manager allows for the injection of arbitrary package payloads by bypassing verification mechanisms.

Affected Systems and Versions

OpenWrt 18.06.0 to 18.06.6
OpenWrt 19.07.0
LEDE 17.01.0 to 17.01.7

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by intercepting and modifying package payloads during the installation process.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2020-7982 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update the opkg package manager to a version beyond 2020-01-25.
Monitor system logs for any suspicious activities.
Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch all software components.
Conduct security audits and penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities.
Educate users on safe browsing habits and the importance of verifying software sources.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches provided by OpenWrt to address the vulnerability.