CVE-2020-8896 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A Buffer Overflow vulnerability in the khcrypt implementation in Google Earth Pro versions up to and including 7.3.2 allows an attacker to perform a Man-in-the-Middle attack using a specially crafted key to read data past the end of the buffer used to hold it. Update to Google Earth Pro 7.3.3 to mitigate this issue.

Understanding CVE-2020-8896

This CVE involves a Buffer Overflow vulnerability in Google Earth Pro.

What is CVE-2020-8896?

The vulnerability in the khcrypt implementation in Google Earth Pro versions up to 7.3.2 allows a Man-in-the-Middle attack.

The Impact of CVE-2020-8896

CVSS Base Score: 4.2 (Medium Severity)
Attack Complexity: High
Attack Vector: Adjacent Network
Confidentiality Impact: Low
Integrity Impact: None
Availability Impact: Low

Technical Details of CVE-2020-8896

This section provides technical details of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability allows an attacker to read data past the end of the buffer used in Google Earth Pro.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Product: Google Earth Pro
Vendor: Google LLC
Affected Version: <= 7.3.2 (stable custom version)

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by using a specially crafted key in a Man-in-the-Middle attack.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2020-8896, follow these steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Google Earth Pro to version 7.3.3.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software to the latest versions.
Implement network security measures to prevent Man-in-the-Middle attacks.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches provided by Google to address this vulnerability.