CRITICAL CVSS 9.3
Published: 2021-01-06

CVE-2020-36160

veritas system_recovery Security Advisory (CVE-2020-36160)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2020-36160 impacting veritas system_recovery. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 9.3 (CRITICAL).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
An issue was discovered in Veritas System Recovery before 21.2. On start-up, it loads the OpenSSL library from \usr\local\ssl. This library attempts to load the from \usr\local\ssl\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 and installed applications, etc. If the system is also an Active Directory domain controller, then this can affect the entire domain.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Local (AV:L)
Requires local system execution permissions
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Changed (S:C)
Impacts components beyond caller authority
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 veritas / system_recovery
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration NVD-CWE-noinfo

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-2020-36160 impacting veritas system_recovery.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2020-36160.yaml
id: cve-2020-36160

info:
  name: veritas system_recovery - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: critical
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2020-36160 affecting veritas system_recovery.
    Evaluation: An issue was discovered in Veritas System Recovery before 21.2. On start-up, it loads the OpenSSL library from \usr\local\ssl. This library attempts t...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2020-36160
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 9.3
    cve-id: CVE-2020-36160
    cwe-id: NVD-CWE-noinfo
  tags: cve,cve-2020-36160,veritas,system_recovery,critical

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "system_recovery"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2020-36160.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2020-36160
# Target: veritas system_recovery | CVSS: 9.3 (CRITICAL)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2020-36160 (veritas system_recovery)...")
    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 veritas system_recovery 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-2020-36160.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2020-36160
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install system_recovery 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade system_recovery 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update system_recovery

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

# 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.

🔗 Verified Technical References

Authorities
  • No records filed in this category.
Distributions
  • No records filed in this category.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2020-36160 in veritas system_recovery?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update veritas system_recovery 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-2020-36160?

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-2020-36160?

CVE-2020-36160 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 9.3 (CRITICAL). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
9.3
CRITICAL SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2020-36160
Weakness NVD-CWE-noinfo
Vendor veritas
Product system_recovery
Published 2021-01-06
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H