CVE-2020-8254: pulsesecure pulse_secure_desktop_client Relative Path Traversal

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2020-8254 is a high (CVSS 8.8) Relative Path Traversal vulnerability in pulsesecure pulse_secure_desktop_client. EPSS estimates a 2.12% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 81.6% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 28-10-2020
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 04-08-2024
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

A vulnerability in the Pulse Secure Desktop Client < 9.1R9 has Remote Code Execution (RCE) if users can be convinced to connect to a malicious server. This vulnerability only affects Windows PDC.To improve the security of connections between Pulse clients and Pulse Connect Secure, see below recommendation(s):Disable Dynamic certificate trust for PDC.

• CWE-23Relative Path TraversalThe product uses external input to construct a pathname that should be within a restricted directory, but it does not properly neutralize sequences such as ".." that can resolve to a location that is outside of that directory.
• CWE-22Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')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.