CVE-2020-8445 : What You Need to Know

OSSEC-HIDS versions 2.7 through 3.5.0 are vulnerable to an issue where terminal control characters and newlines are not properly handled, potentially leading to injection of nested events into the log and remote attacks.

Understanding CVE-2020-8445

OSSEC-HIDS versions 2.7 through 3.5.0 are susceptible to a security flaw that could allow unauthorized remote attacks through log manipulation.

What is CVE-2020-8445?

In OSSEC-HIDS 2.7 through 3.5.0, the OS_CleanMSG function in ossec-analysisd fails to sanitize terminal control characters and newlines from processed log messages, enabling the injection of nested events into the log and potential execution of commands.

The Impact of CVE-2020-8445

The vulnerability in OSSEC-HIDS could permit unauthenticated remote attacks by exploiting the mishandling of terminal control characters and newlines in log messages.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-8445

OSSEC-HIDS 2.7 through 3.5.0 is affected by a vulnerability related to log message processing.

Vulnerability Description

The OS_CleanMSG function in ossec-analysisd does not properly handle terminal control characters and newlines in log messages, allowing for potential injection of nested events and command execution.

Affected Systems and Versions

Versions 2.7 through 3.5.0 of OSSEC-HIDS

Exploitation Mechanism

Injection of nested events into the log
Potential execution of commands through vulnerable terminal emulators

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2020-8445, follow these mitigation steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update OSSEC-HIDS to a patched version
Monitor log activity for suspicious behavior

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch OSSEC-HIDS
Implement network segmentation and access controls

Patching and Updates

Apply the latest security patches and updates for OSSEC-HIDS