CVE-2020-11634
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe Zscaler Client Connector for Windows prior to 2.1.2.105 had a DLL hijacking vulnerability caused due to the configuration of OpenSSL. A local adversary may be able to execute arbitrary code in the SYSTEM context.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceA DLL hijacking vulnerability in Zscaler Client Connector for Windows (versions prior to 2.1.2.105) stems from insecure OpenSSL configuration. A local authenticated attacker with the ability to place a malicious DLL in a directory from which the application loads libraries could escalate privileges to execute arbitrary code in SYSTEM context.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 2.1.2.105CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Locate Zscaler Client Connector installation directoryCheck for Zscaler Client Connector in the Windows Program Files folder, typically at C:\Program Files\Zscaler\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Zscaler\, and confirm the ZscalerClientConnector.exe executable exists.Affected if The Zscaler Client Connector application is installed on the system.
-
Find installed version via Windows RegistryOpen Registry Editor and navigate to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\, search for a subkey containing 'Zscaler Client Connector' or 'Zscaler' and read the DisplayVersion value. Alternatively, right-click the ZscalerClientConnector.exe file, select Properties, and view the Details tab for the Version field.Affected if A version number is returned that is lower than 2.1.2.105 (for example, 2.1.0.0 or 2.0.x.x).
-
Confirm version via command lineOpen Command Prompt and run: dir "C:\Program Files\Zscaler\Zscaler Client Connector\ZscalerClientConnector.exe" /s 2>nul, then run: wmic product where "name like 'Zscaler%'" get version,nameAffected if The command returns a version number less than 2.1.2.105.
-
Identify running processes and service contextOpen Task Manager, look for ZscalerClientConnector.exe in the Processes tab, right-click and select Properties to view the executable path. Check if the process is running under the SYSTEM account by running: tasklist /svc | findstr ZscalerAffected if The Zscaler Client Connector service or process is running, indicating the vulnerable software is active on the system.
Your environment is affected if Zscaler Client Connector is installed and the detected version is any version prior to 2.1.2.105, as this version range contains the insecure OpenSSL configuration that enables DLL hijacking.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data2.1.2.105
Upgrade Zscaler Client Connector to version 2.1.2.105 or later to remediate this vulnerability.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-11634 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-11634 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data