CVE-2020-36168

CVE-2020-36168 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Veritas Resiliency Platform with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.3. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low.

Key facts

Description

An issue was discovered in Veritas Resiliency Platform 3.4 and 3.5. It leverages OpenSSL on Windows systems when using the Managed Host addon. On start-up, it loads the OpenSSL library. This library may attempt to load the openssl.cnf configuration file, which does not exist. By default, on Windows systems, users can create directories under C:\. A low privileged user can create a C:\usr\local\ssl\openssl.cnf configuration file to load a malicious OpenSSL engine, resulting in arbitrary code execution as SYSTEM when the service starts. This gives the attacker administrator access on the system, allowing the attacker (by default) to access all data, access all installed applications, etc.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-36168?
An issue was discovered in Veritas Resiliency Platform 3.4 and 3.5. It leverages OpenSSL on Windows systems when using the Managed Host addon. On start-up, it loads the OpenSSL library. This library may attempt to load the openssl.cnf configuration file, which does not exist. By default, on Windows systems, users can create directories under C:\. A low privileged user can create a C:\usr\local\ssl\openssl.cnf configuration file to load a malicious OpenSSL engine, resulting in arbitrary code execution as SYSTEM when the service starts. This gives the attacker administrator access on the system, allowing the attacker (by default) to access all data, access all installed applications, etc.
How severe is CVE-2020-36168?
CVE-2020-36168 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.3, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-36168 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (35th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-36168?
CVE-2020-36168 primarily affects Veritas Resiliency Platform. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-36168?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2020-36168 published?
CVE-2020-36168 was published on 2021-01-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

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