Cisco Duo Device Health Application: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory
CVE-2023-20229 is a high-severity improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory vulnerability in Cisco Duo Device Health Application from Cisco, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. Affected Cisco Duo Device Health Application versions: 5.0.0.0; 5.1.0.0. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.41% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Duo Device Health Application to 5.2.0 or a later version.
- Read the advisory on sec.cloudapps.cisco.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco | Cisco Duo Device Health Application | 5.0.0.0; 5.1.0.0 | Not stated |
| Cisco | Duo Device Health Application | 5.0.0 up to, but not including, 5.2.0 | 5.2.0 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- NoneNo data is disclosed.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.1 | High | CNA (cisco.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.1 | High | NVD |
Official description
A vulnerability in the CryptoService function of Cisco Duo Device Health Application for Windows could allow an authenticated, local attacker with low privileges to conduct directory traversal attacks and overwrite arbitrary files on an affected system. This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by executing a directory traversal attack on an affected host. A successful exploit could allow an attacker to use a cryptographic key to overwrite arbitrary files with SYSTEM-level privileges, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition or data loss on the affected system.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory
The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.
- Use an application firewall that can detect attacks against this weakness. It can be beneficial in cases in which the code cannot be fixed (because it is controlled by a third party), as an emergency prevention measure while more comprehensive software assurance measures are applied, or to provide defense in depth.
More Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory vulnerabilities (CWE-22)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Recent Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory vulnerabilities
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 7.5 High severity
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