CVE-2020-6078: Null Pointer Dereference

Published Mar 24, 2020
·
Updated

An exploitable denial-of-service vulnerability exists in the message-parsing functionality of Videolabs libmicrodns 0.1.0. When parsing mDNS messages in mdnsrecv, the return value of the mdnsreadheader function is not checked, leading to an uninitialized variable usage that eventually results in a null pointer dereference, leading to service crash. An attacker can send a series of mDNS messages to trigger this vulnerability.

Affected Software

4 affected componentsFixes available
debian/vlc
3.0.17.4-0+deb10u13.0.17.4-0+deb10u23.0.18-0+deb11u13.0.18-23.0.19-1
Videolabs libmicrodns=0.1.0
Debian Debian Linux=9.0
Debian Debian Linux=10.0

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/vlc to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 3.0.17.4-0+deb10u1Fixed in 3.0.17.4-0+deb10u2Fixed in 3.0.18-0+deb11u1Fixed in 3.0.18-2Fixed in 3.0.19-1
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade Videolabs libmicrodns to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0.1.0
  3. Compensating control

    Mitigate the mDNS DoS by restricting/blocking mDNS traffic (UDP 5353) to trusted networks/sources until the libmicrodns message-parsing issue in mdns_recv (mdns_read_header return value check) is fixed.

Event History

Mar 24, 2020
CVE Published
via MITRE·08:39 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·08:39 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Feb 2, 2025
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·01:58 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·01:59 AM
Description

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is CVE-2020-6078?

CVE-2020-6078 is a denial-of-service vulnerability in the message-parsing functionality of Videolabs libmicrodns 0.1.0.

2

What is the severity of CVE-2020-6078?

CVE-2020-6078 has a severity rating of 7.5 (high).

3

How does CVE-2020-6078 affect the affected software?

CVE-2020-6078 affects Videolabs libmicrodns 0.1.0 and Debian Debian Linux 9.0 and 10.0, as well as VLC versions 3.0.17.4-0+deb10u1, 3.0.17.4-0+deb10u2, 3.0.18-0+deb11u1, 3.0.18-2, and 3.0.19-1.

4

How can I fix CVE-2020-6078?

To fix CVE-2020-6078, it is recommended to update the affected software to the latest versions available.

5

Where can I find more information about CVE-2020-6078?

You can find more information about CVE-2020-6078 at the following references: [link1](https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2020-1001), [link2](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2020-6078), [link3](https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202005-10).

Contact

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