CVE-2020-8595 : What You Need to Know

Istio versions 1.2.10 (End of Life) and prior, 1.3 through 1.3.7, and 1.4 through 1.4.3 have a vulnerability that allows authentication bypass.

Understanding CVE-2020-8595

This CVE involves an authentication bypass issue in specific Istio versions.

What is CVE-2020-8595?

CVE-2020-8595 is a security vulnerability in Istio versions 1.2.10 and earlier, 1.3 to 1.3.7, and 1.4 to 1.4.3 that enables an attacker to bypass authentication mechanisms.

The Impact of CVE-2020-8595

The vulnerability allows unauthorized access to HTTP paths, even if they are supposed to be restricted to users with valid JWT tokens.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-8595

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

Vulnerability Description

The Authentication Policy exact-path matching logic in affected Istio versions can be manipulated by adding specific characters to a URI, enabling unauthorized access.

Affected Systems and Versions

Istio versions 1.2.10 and earlier (End of Life)
Istio versions 1.3 to 1.3.7
Istio versions 1.4 to 1.4.3

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by adding characters like '?' or '#' to a URI, bypassing the authentication checks.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2020-8595 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade Istio to a non-vulnerable version
Implement additional access controls
Monitor and audit HTTP path access

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update Istio to the latest secure versions
Conduct security assessments and audits

Patching and Updates

Apply patches provided by Istio to fix the authentication bypass vulnerability