CVE-2020-26214 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

In Alerta before version 8.1.0, users may bypass LDAP authentication by providing an empty password. This vulnerability affects deployments where LDAP servers allow unauthenticated authentication mechanisms.

Understanding CVE-2020-26214

Alerta versions prior to 8.1.0 are susceptible to LDAP authentication bypass due to a flaw that allows users to authenticate without a password.

What is CVE-2020-26214?

CVE-2020-26214 is a critical vulnerability in Alerta that enables users to bypass LDAP authentication by submitting an empty password.

The Impact of CVE-2020-26214

CVSS Base Score: 9.1 (Critical)
Confidentiality Impact: High
Integrity Impact: High
Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Availability Impact: None

Technical Details of CVE-2020-26214

Alerta's LDAP authentication bypass vulnerability has the following technical details:

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability allows users to bypass LDAP authentication by providing an empty password in Alerta versions prior to 8.1.0.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Product: Alerta
Vendor: Alerta
Vulnerable Versions: < 8.1.0

Exploitation Mechanism

Users exploit the vulnerability by submitting an empty password when Alerta is configured to use LDAP for authorization.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2020-26214, consider the following mitigation strategies:

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade Alerta to version 8.1.0 or newer to fix the LDAP authentication bypass.
LDAP administrators can disallow unauthenticated bind requests by clients as a workaround.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update Alerta and other software to the latest versions to prevent known vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches promptly to ensure that security fixes are in place.