CVE-2021-20110 : What You Need to Know

This CVE-2021-20110 relates to a vulnerability in Manage Engine Asset Explorer Agent version 1.0.34 that allows an attacker to execute remote code by triggering a heap overflow. Here is a detailed analysis of the issue.

Understanding CVE-2021-20110

This section delves into the background, impact, technical details, mitigation, and prevention strategies related to the CVE-2021-20110 vulnerability.

What is CVE-2021-20110?

The vulnerability arises from the Manage Engine Asset Explorer Agent's failure to validate HTTPS certificates. It enables an attacker to perform a heap overflow attack by manipulating HTTP requests sent to the agent.

The Impact of CVE-2021-20110

Exploiting this vulnerability allows an attacker to achieve remote code execution as the NT AUTHORITY/SYSTEM user on the target agent machine. This can have severe consequences for the security and integrity of the system.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-20110

Here we outline the specifics of the vulnerability, including its description, affected systems, versions, and the exploitation mechanism employed.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability stems from an Integer Overflow in the agent that leads to a Heap Overflow. By tricking the agent to respond to a POST request with specific data, an attacker can trigger the overflow, gaining control over the agent machine.

Affected Systems and Versions

Manage Engine Asset Explorer Agent version 1.0.34 is the specific version affected by this vulnerability. Systems running this version are at risk of exploitation if not patched promptly.

Exploitation Mechanism

The attacker can exploit the vulnerability by sending a malformed POST request with a crafted Content-Length size, forcing the system to allocate inadequate memory, resulting in a heap overflow that leads to remote code execution.

Mitigation and Prevention

In this section, we discuss immediate steps to take and long-term security practices to mitigate the risk of exploitation.

Immediate Steps to Take

Organizations should apply patches promptly, specifically fixing the HTTPS certificate validation issue and the Integer Overflow leading to Heap Overflow.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing network segmentation, access controls, and regular security updates can reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation of such vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Regularly check for security updates from Manage Engine and apply them diligently to ensure the system's protection against known vulnerabilities.