CVE-2020-37031
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2020-37031 is a local buffer overflow vulnerability in Simple Startup Manager 1.17 that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by exploiting the 'File' input parameter. This affects users of Simple Startup Manager version 1.17, enabling privilege escalation or system compromise if an attacker has local access.
💻 Affected Systems
- Simple Startup Manager
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with arbitrary code execution, potentially leading to data theft, malware installation, or lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation allowing attackers to run malicious code like calc.exe as demonstrated, potentially leading to further exploitation or system control.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if the software is not installed or access is restricted, but exploitation remains possible with local user privileges.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploit code is publicly available (e.g., on Exploit-DB), demonstrating code execution with a 268-byte payload that bypasses DEP and launches calc.exe, indicating it is weaponized and easy to use.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Unknown
Vendor Advisory: No official vendor advisory found; references point to third-party sites.
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
No official patch is available; consider uninstalling the software or applying workarounds as a mitigation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Uninstall Simple Startup Manager
windowsRemove the vulnerable software to eliminate the attack vector.
Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a program, select Simple Startup Manager 1.17, and click Uninstall
Restrict User Access
windowsLimit access to the software to trusted users only to reduce exploitation risk.
Use Windows Group Policy or permissions to restrict execution of the software to specific users or groups
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Monitor for unusual process executions, such as calc.exe or other unexpected programs, as indicators of exploitation.
- Implement application whitelisting to block unauthorized software execution, reducing the impact if exploitation occurs.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if Simple Startup Manager version 1.17 is installed by looking in the Programs list in Control Panel or checking the installation directory for version info.Check Version:
wmic product where name="Simple Startup Manager" get versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify the software is uninstalled or updated to a non-vulnerable version by confirming it no longer appears in installed programs or checking version details.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Look for process creation events related to Simple Startup Manager or unexpected executions like calc.exe in Windows Event Logs (e.g., Event ID 4688).
Network Indicators:
- No network indicators as this is a local exploit; focus on host-based detection.
SIEM Query:
Example for Splunk: index=windows EventCode=4688 ProcessName="*calc.exe*" OR ProcessName="*Simple Startup Manager*"