HIGH CVSS 7.8
Published: 2020-11-06

CVE-2020-5794

tenable nessus_network_monitor Security Advisory (CVE-2020-5794)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2020-5794 impacting tenable nessus_network_monitor. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 7.8 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
A vulnerability in Nessus Network Monitor versions 5.11.0, 5.11.1, and 5.12.0 for Windows could allow an authenticated local attacker to execute arbitrary code by copying user-supplied files to a specially constructed path in a specifically named user directory. The attacker needs valid credentials on the Windows system to exploit this vulnerability.

📊 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
Low (PR:L)
Standard user access 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 tenable / nessus_network_monitor
Affected Versions 5.11.0
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-2020-5794 impacting tenable nessus_network_monitor.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2020-5794.yaml
id: cve-2020-5794

info:
  name: tenable nessus_network_monitor - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2020-5794 affecting tenable nessus_network_monitor.
    Evaluation: A vulnerability in Nessus Network Monitor versions 5.11.0, 5.11.1, and 5.12.0 for Windows could allow an authenticated local attacker to execute arbit...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2020-5794
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 7.8
    cve-id: CVE-2020-5794
    cwe-id: NVD-CWE-noinfo
  tags: cve,cve-2020-5794,tenable,nessus_network_monitor,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "nessus_network_monitor"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2020-5794.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2020-5794
# Target: tenable nessus_network_monitor | CVSS: 7.8 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2020-5794 (tenable nessus_network_monitor)...")
    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 tenable nessus_network_monitor scope (5.11.0).")
        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-2020-5794.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2020-5794
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install nessus_network_monitor 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade nessus_network_monitor 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update nessus_network_monitor

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

# 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-2020-5794 in tenable nessus_network_monitor?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update tenable nessus_network_monitor 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-2020-5794?

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-2020-5794?

CVE-2020-5794 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 7.8 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
7.8
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2020-5794
Weakness NVD-CWE-noinfo
Vendor tenable
Product nessus_network_monitor
Published 2020-11-06
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H