HIGH CVSS 7.2
Published: 2020-12-27

CVE-2020-29299

zyxel vpn_orchestrator Security Advisory (CVE-2020-29299)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2020-29299 impacting zyxel vpn_orchestrator. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 7.2 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
Certain Zyxel products allow command injection by an admin via an input string to chg_exp_pwd during a password-change action. This affects VPN On-premise before ZLD V4.39 week38, VPN Orchestrator before SD-OS V10.03 week32, USG before ZLD V4.39 week38, USG FLEX before ZLD V4.55 week38, ATP before ZLD V4.55 week38, and NSG before 1.33 patch 4.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
High (PR:H)
Administrative credentials required
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product zyxel / vpn_orchestrator
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-77

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2020-29299 impacting zyxel vpn_orchestrator.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2020-29299.yaml
id: cve-2020-29299

info:
  name: zyxel vpn_orchestrator - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2020-29299 affecting zyxel vpn_orchestrator.
    Evaluation: Certain Zyxel products allow command injection by an admin via an input string to chg_exp_pwd during a password-change action. This affects VPN On-pre...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2020-29299
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 7.2
    cve-id: CVE-2020-29299
    cwe-id: CWE-77
  tags: cve,cve-2020-29299,zyxel,vpn_orchestrator,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "vpn_orchestrator"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2020-29299.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2020-29299
# Target: zyxel vpn_orchestrator | CVSS: 7.2 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2020-29299 (zyxel vpn_orchestrator)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against zyxel vpn_orchestrator scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2020-29299.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2020-29299
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install vpn_orchestrator 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade vpn_orchestrator 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update vpn_orchestrator

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i vpn_orchestrator 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i vpn_orchestrator

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2020-29299 in zyxel vpn_orchestrator?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update zyxel vpn_orchestrator packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2020-29299?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2020-29299?

CVE-2020-29299 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 7.2 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
7.2
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2020-29299
Weakness CWE-77
Vendor zyxel
Product vpn_orchestrator
Published 2020-12-27
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H