CVE-2020-10189 Scanner

ManageEngine Desktop Central is an endpoint management software used by IT administrators in various organizations to manage servers, desktops, smartphones, and tablets from a central location. The software is widely recognized for automating regular desktop management activities, such as installing patches, deploying software, imaging and deploying OS, managing assets, and remote troubleshooting. By offering a comprehensive solution to track and manage IT assets, it helps optimize resources and enhance productivity. Desktop Central can manage endpoints from multiple remote locations, enabling IT teams to efficiently support remote users. Due to its functionality, it is essential for ensuring endpoint security and compliance within the organization. Administrators leverage this software to streamline IT management tasks, ensuring systems remain up-to-date and secure.

The vulnerability identified in ManageEngine Desktop Central is due to improper handling of deserialized data. Deserialization is the process of reconstructing a data structure from binary or textual form. Insecure deserialization can lead to remote code execution vulnerabilities, allowing attackers to control a remote system. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient validation of serialized inputs, which permits execution of arbitrary code. This type of attack can be carried out by sending specially crafted serialized objects to the application, potentially altering application logic or corrupting system operations. If exploited, this vulnerability could lead to significant security breaches, compromise system integrity, or result in unauthorized access to sensitive data. Organizations using affected versions are at risk and should patch promptly to mitigate potential exposure to attackers.

Technical details of the vulnerability primarily involve the deserialization of untrusted data within affected versions of ManageEngine Desktop Central. The vulnerable endpoint is accessed through specific HTTP requests to '/mdm/client/v1/mdmLogUploader', alongside a crafted payload such as 'logger.zip'. Attackers can exploit this deserialization flaw by sending malicious input to this endpoint, which the application processes without adequate checks. By injecting serialized Java objects containing harmful content, they can trigger the execution of unintended actions on the system, with substantial risk to data security. The potential manipulation of serialized data streams could lead to various levels of service disruption, including commands execution remotely. The application’s neglect to validate serialized content effectively makes it susceptible to these attacks, necessitating immediate remedial measures.

When the deserialization vulnerability in ManageEngine Desktop Central is exploited, it can lead to severe security incidents. Exploitation may enable attackers to gain unprecedented control over the application, potentially escalating privileges or executing arbitrary code. Such control can be leveraged to exfiltrate sensitive information, manipulate data, or install malicious backdoors for sustained access. Additionally, executing unauthorized operations could compromise system resources, leading to data breaches or disruption of IT services. Compromised systems can be redirected to participate in network attacks or harm other resources connected to the same network. Organizations may face significant operational setbacks, reputational damage, and compliance issues, if the vulnerability is not promptly mitigated.

REFERENCES

• https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-10189
• https://blog.reconinfosec.com/analysis-of-exploitation-cve-2020-10189
• https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/remote-code-execution-vulnerability.html
• https://y4er.com/posts/cve-2020-10189-zoho-manageengine-rce/
• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/502.html