CVE-2020-24102
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 · uneditedDirectory Traversal vulnerability in Punkbuster pbsv.d64 2.351, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code.
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 · moderate confidenceA directory traversal vulnerability exists in Punkbuster's pbsv.d64 component version 2.351. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to traverse the file system beyond intended boundaries, potentially accessing sensitive files and ultimately executing arbitrary code on the affected system.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:L
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.
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Locate pbsv.d64 componentSearch for the pbsv.d64 file on the system. Common paths include the Punkbuster installation directory (typically in the game or anti-cheat folder). Use 'find / -name pbsv.d64 2>/dev/null' on Linux or search the Punkbuster program folders on Windows.Affected if The pbsv.d64 file is present on the system, indicating Punkbuster is installed.
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Determine pbsv.d64 versionCheck the file properties of pbsv.d64 or use command-line tools to retrieve version info. On Windows, right-click the file and select Properties > Details. On Linux, try 'file pbsv.d64' or check any accompanying version files in the Punkbuster directory.Affected if The version is 2.351 exactly, matching the affected version specified in the CVE.
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Confirm Punkbuster service is activeCheck if Punkbuster is running as a service or loaded by the game. On Windows, check Services or Task Manager for pbsv processes. On Linux, use 'ps aux | grep -i punkbuster' or check running game processes that load Punkbuster.Affected if Punkbuster is actively running or loaded by a game client, making the vulnerable component accessible.
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Verify network exposureCheck if the Punkbuster service is bound to network interfaces or listening on ports. Use 'netstat -an | grep -i punkbuster' or review firewall rules for Punkbuster-related ports.Affected if Punkbuster network services are exposed and reachable, allowing remote attackers to exploit the directory traversal.
A system is affected if pbsv.d64 version 2.351 is installed and actively running, with the vulnerable component exposed to network access.
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 dataUpdate Punkbuster to the latest patched version if available; otherwise, implement strict input validation and access controls on file operations within the pbsv.d64 component to prevent path traversal attacks.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-24102 — 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-2020-24102 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
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- 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
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